Fallout
by Rose Aislee Evans
Summary: Taravel of House Girithlin and Lothíriel of Dol Amroth were sent to Minas Tirith for protection before the Ring War began. Now the war is over. But with war brewing in Harad and Taravel's increasingly complex feelings for a certain Ranger; who she later finds out is the King, life is hardly free of the danger that she thought the war's ending would bring. Aragorn/OC
1. Chapter 1

I had managed to hide from my brothers by ducking into the stables and I chose a stall at random and stepped inside. I huddled in a corner right next to the stall door to avoid being seen and hoped that no one would notice me. It was a rare thing for my three brothers to work together on anything but apparently stealing all of their clothes and replacing them with garish dresses did the trick. I was simply paying them back for what they had done to my books a few days ago. I could hear them shouting indistinctly as they rushed past the stables, and their voices faded until I could no longer hear them. I grinned to myself despite knowing I had only delayed the inevitable and picked out a few pieces of hay that had managed to get stuck in my dark hair before I straightened up and brushed the dirt off my dress.

Then I noticed the horse. A large brown one looking at me with wise eyes that seemed to understand exactly what I was doing. Sheepishly I smiled and thanked my lucky stars that the horse had not reacted negatively to my presence. I regarded the horse before me somewhat ruefully.

"Let's keep this between us, though I don't suppose you could tell anyone anyway. You can't exactly talk but you seem intelligent enough." I mused while offering my hand to introduce myself.

"That he is, lady." A quiet voice behind me spoke.

I whirled around in surprise to see a man with shoulder length brown hair and grey-blue eyes looking at me with a raised eyebrow. He was quite handsome, I noticed somewhat distractedly.

"Ah, sorry, he's your horse then." I said while gesturing behind me. "I'm fleeing from my brothers; I just hid in the first stall I saw."

"You wouldn't by chance happen to be Taravel?"

"I am, how do you know my name?"

"I believe I passed by your brothers; they were shouting your name, amongst other things."

"Yes, that must have been them. They are quite angry with me right now." I answered, shaking my head.

I started to explain. "They would not even have seen me but I couldn't resist going back to see my handy work. They had managed to convince a servant to loan them some clothes while they went looking for theirs, or me, whichever they found first. Unfortunately they caught sight of me and started to chase me. I barely escaped." I said seriously.

"You stole their clothes," he repeated, a smile creeping up on his face.

"Yes, and replaced them with the most hideous dresses I could find. I'm not completely heartless though; I left them with a couple clues to find their clothes. Apparently they decided it would be easier to find me and make me show them where they are." I tilted my head to the side.

"I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, you know my name but I don't know yours."

He hesitated a slightly before replying "Strider."

My forehead wrinkled a little. "Strider, I have never heard of anybody being called Strider before." Then I looked at his clothing and noticed the dark leathers, all in a style I had seen before.

"Oh, you're a Dúnadain Ranger then, that makes sense." I stepped forward and undid the bolt on the stall door and slipped outside so I was standing beside him.

"It was nice meeting you Strider, but I really should go before my brothers come looking for me here. They know that this is where I have my horse stabled." I began to walk away before I paused.

"He is a very steady horse, that one. Didn't make a peep when I came bursting into his stall."

"Yes, he is. Brego has been battle trained. You are lucky he simply ignored you." His expression turned more serious.

"You should be more careful. Another horse could very well have responded badly to your presence."

"I will. I usually don't make it a habit to hide in a strange horse's stall. Well, it's off to Lothíriel's rooms for me. They wouldn't dare barge in on her." I stated cheerfully. "Ah, if my brothers come looking for me…"

"I won't say where you have gone."

"Thank you!" I dashed off to Lothíriel's rooms, hoping I could make it without being spotted by one of my brothers. Still, I was distracted by thoughts of the Ranger called Strider.

"Settle down girl," I muttered to myself. "No use fantasizing about him." With that stern reprimand. I knocked lightly on Lothiriel's door before letting myself in quietly and tiptoeing to her private sitting room. Her maid Rian, upon seeing me shook her head in exasperation before pointing to an end table with a breakfast tray ready for me. Happily I sat down and began to eat.

"I knew you would be coming round once I heard the uproar that your brothers are in. You cannot hide in here forever Taravel," she warned. "I expect the mistress will be up within the hour."

"Thank you Rian, I appreciate this." She just shook her head and mumbled something under her breath.

I belong to house Girithlin which pledges loyalty to the Princes of Dol Amroth. My parents had been visiting Dol Amroth to escort my uncle, who was to become a swan knight, and my mother refused to miss it despite her condition. I was born there, three weeks earlier than expected. Lothíriel had been born only two days before; and thus began the tradition of my family summering at Dol Amroth. Lothíriel and I were the only girls in our families and quickly became close friends. We were inseparable during those summers and often wrote letters back and forth to each other when we were apart. I think when we were sixteen we convinced our parents that I should stay year round. My father was easy to convince. He was eager to gain favor with the prince of Dol Amroth and agreed. My mother had taken a little more convincing but she too eventually agreed.

I had grown up with Lothíriel, and as such her family's staff was used to my antics. They had given up long ago of me becoming a "real lady", but I knew enough to behave myself at court and not embarrass my family. I had grown up wild with my uncle encouraging me to learn how to ride, and he had also drilled me in the basics of sword play. Though of course there was no way that I would ever be allowed to participate in battle, and I was fine with that. I had worked in the healing halls alongside Lothíriel and had seen the horrors of the aftermath of battle. Even a month after The Battle of Pelennor Fields we still had soldiers recovering.

Finished with my breakfast, I considered whether or not it was worth my life to wake Lothíriel up early. I decided that it was, for I needed to talk to her about several things, and it was past sunrise. I tiptoed towards the door of her bedroom and crept inside before jumping up on top of her and rolling over her screaming at the top of my lungs, "WAKE UP! WAKE UP!" She did wake up and as expected was not happy at all and let me know quite vocally. Twenty minutes later she was still sulking and giving me death glares while she ate her own breakfast. I hummed to myself happily ignoring her. I could wait to speak to her until she was fully awake and coherent. She soon finished and her tray was taken away.

"Now Tara, what was so bloody important that you had to wake me up early to tell me?"

"It's hardly early the sun is shining, and the birds are singing-" I cut myself off as her glare intensified. I knew how far I could push her before her temper snapped.

"Well, our plan was successful. Though I did have to hide in the stables because they saw me."

"You went back and looked? Tara, I told you it was a bad idea."

"They didn't catch me." I said with an airy wave of my hand. "And that is the important thing."

"You didn't wake me up just to tell me that." She stated calmly.

"Well, no. I had a run in with a man named Strider…" After I had finished telling her everything, three times (she liked being sure of things), she leaned back slightly and watched my face closely.

"You are attracted to him."

"A little," I admitted. "But I'm probably never going to see him again, so it is pointless."

"You don't know that. Many of the Dúnadain are staying for the coronation of the king. Perhaps you'll run into him again," she argued.

"Perhaps. But there is no use dwelling on what may be. Come, let's get dressed so we can explore. I'm sure Amrothos would be willing to go with us if we asked nicely."

"You're not worried about your brothers finding you?"

"Like they would do anything with Amrothos right there; besides I have to face them eventually."

"Rian," Lothíriel called out. She entered carrying a dress slung over her arm.

"I took the liberty of getting one of your dresses for you Taravel."

"Thank you again, Rian."

"You are welcome. Now if I were you I would hurry out, I hear your brothers are heading this way looking for you." With the ease of long practice I got dressed quickly and was ready to leave several minutes before Lothíriel.

"I'll meet you at the stables, you convince your brother to escort us." She nodded in the affirmative and I went on my merry way. I walked at a much more sedate pace than I had earlier and my hair was actually fixed properly. I wanted to check on Flash. I hadn't been able to ride her to Minas Tirith because she had taken lame right before we were sent to the city for safety. The Corsair's attacks on the coastline were troubling and Prince Imrahil reasoned that we would be safer farther inland under the protection of Lothíriel's uncle, the steward of Gondor. Flash had healed, and my brothers had brought her with them.

Humming quietly to myself I strode back to the stables. Flash was in the middle, along with the other horses from Dol Amroth. I unlatched the stall door; and Flash's ears perked at the sound. She nickered in greeting. I inspected her and it did appear that she had recovered completely. I patted her neck soothingly.

"I missed you girl, looks like they're taking care of you, hmm." Her sand colored coat practically shone. "Sorry, I don't have a treat for you. I was in a rush this morning." I spent a few moments thing talking quietly to her while my fingers absentmindedly braided, unraveled and then re-braided the same section of her mane. With a final pat, I exited her stall and strode over to the stable doors to wait for Lothíriel and Amrothos.

I had no doubts that she would indeed succeed in convincing her brother to be our escort. She could be very persuasive. After so many years I had built up a tolerance to it, so it was a rare thing when she managed to convince me to do something that I did not want to do.

I was on the lookout for them but still didn't see them, I leaned against the wood after making sure that I was in nobody's way. I was scanning the people coming in and out of the stables, there was much more traffic now that the sun had been up for a while. The nobles of Minas Tirith were finally waking up. Still humming I rested more of my weight against the wall.

"Back again?"

I jumped a little. "How did you do that?"

"I am a Ranger. We're trained to move silently."

"I suppose. Yes, I'm waiting for Lothíriel and her brother Amrothos. We're going to explore the city. I really didn't have time to do that when I first arrived here, and then I've been busy in the houses of healing. I'd say I'm a little overdue for some exploring, wouldn't you?"

"Not worried about your brothers finding you?"

"Nope, they're too busy looking for their clothes by finally following the clues I left them. They've given up looking for me. Serves them right for messing with my books. Books are sacred." I added that last part very seriously. While I was talking I hadn't noticed that he had been stepping closer to me. One hand was holding Brego's reigns while the other was by his side. I realized that he had angled his horse so that we were blocked from the view of the casual passerby.

"You enjoy your ride?"

He seemed amused at my abrupt change of subject. "Yes. It was nice to clear my head."

"I understand. I love the city and being surrounded by people but sometimes you just need to be alone."

"So," I began casually. "Are you staying for the King's coronation?"

Something passed across his face, but it happened so quickly I wasn't sure what it was.

"I am. You said you worked at the houses of healing; did you not see the future king there?"

"No, I was working in a different part where the Rohirrim were being treated. I heard about it but I was too busy to go see. We were in the middle of doing several amputations and they needed another pair of hands to help with the bleeding. I've visited them a few times since, it has been difficult for them to adjust. They are such a proud people and to be told that they may never ride again..." I trailed off shaking my head. "It was heartbreaking to watch."

His gaze had softened somewhat. "I can understand that."

I pushed off the stable wall to stand up straight. "I need to watch for Lothíriel and Amrothos. I really don't want her anymore irritated at me than she already is. Her temper can be a fearsome thing." I said with a smile.

"Then I will not keep you from them. Goodbye Lady Taravel."

"Goodbye Strider." With a final nod in my direction he walked into the stables. Once again my line of sight was clear. I could hear Lothíriel arguing with her brother, about who knows what, as they approached the stables. I went to meet them.

"Ready for the tour Tara?" She asked briskly.

"Of course, let's go." And with minimal grumbling from Amrothos, we departed.

**A/N For those of you who are reading 'Back in Time', I have not abandoned it! I am just having a lot of trouble writing the next chapter. This idea had been bouncing around in my head for awhile so I decided to write it. Please, review! The next update should be on Friday some time.**


	2. Chapter 2

After spending the day exploring the city and eventually the lower levels as well, I was subdued, I hadn't realized how extensive the damage was. "I didn't realize how bad it was. Not just the destruction but the people too. They look terrible."

"And hungry," Lothíriel added. "Very hungry. Many men have died. The woman are having a harder time finding work to support their families. Some have started to do the jobs that men usually do."

I turned my head to look at her. "Where did you find that out?"

"I talked to a few woman on the street while I was waiting for you to come out of the shop."

"Something needs to be done to help them."

"I believe that is one of the king's first priorities after his coronation," Amrothos replied.

"Have you met him?"

"You didn't know, Tara? He met him at the battle of the Black Gates. I believe it was on the way there, right?"

"You are correct, sister." There was a short silence after this statement.

"It will be different to have a king after so long."

"Court will certainly be different. I hope for the better now that Denethor and his paranoia is gone." That was my contribution to the conversation. It's not that I disliked court, I was simply… apathetic to it. It seemed like the same dramas played out over and over again with different people. Many of them were shallow, but some were cruel. Those who were both behaved the worst. I avoided them whenever I could. As our discussion ended, we reached the upper level of the city and parted ways there. I was going back to the stables to check on Flash again and perhaps lead her out to a nearby paddock for some exercise. The stables were quieter than when I had been there earlier, yet there was still some activity. Stable boys going back and forth and the like. I was largely ignored. I hummed a tune I had picked up on the streets as I approached her stall.

"Hey girl, did you miss me?" She let out huff of breath which I took to mean yes so I saddled her and led her out to the paddock. She was eager to go, and I had to keep a firm grip on the reigns to keep her from getting ahead of me. I was wearing a full enough skirt that riding astride wasn't a problem. It was soothing to ride again, even if it was only in a paddock and my thoughts drifted from one thing to the next. Eventually I decided that it had been long enough and dismounted before leading her back into the stables. By this time it was dusk and getting hard to see, but I managed. I placed her back in her stall and began to rub her down. This too was familiar to me; when I finished I gave her a final pat and exited the stables. I hurried off, as I didn't want to miss the evening meal.

Dinner was loud, not surprising since my brothers were there, along with Lothíriel's. They had mostly forgiven me for the prank I had pulled on them and congratulated me on my creativity with the clues. I graciously accepted their congratulations. Apparently they had managed to find them all. When I asked what they had done with the dresses they had all gotten rather shifty looks in their eyes before my oldest brother Barech replied that they "donated them." I was a little suspicious but let it slide. Instead I asked him when Mother and Father were going to get here. He said that they would arrive in less than a week, which was a good thing because the king's coronation was supposed to take place two weeks from today. Our uncle Thorondur was coming with them.

Uncle Thorondur was in charge of the defenses of Dol Amroth and wanted to make sure that everything was in order before he left. He was always telling me that "you can never be too careful." He was also the same uncle who had helped persuade my parents to let me learn the basics of weapons and had trained me himself. I was decent but had no illusions about lasting long in a battle. Though I did have a talent for archery.

It was nice to finally be able to go to sleep, I reflected. It had been a long day made longer still by the fact that my brothers had taken turns telling stories. The first two times I had heard them they had still been interesting. But by the seventh and eighth I had been bored, especially since they seemed to grow with each telling. I slept peacefully and awoke well rested the next morning.

The day had been progressing normally when Lothíriel and I were approached by Faramir- her cousin. I did not know him very well; he was always busy, and I had only spoken to him alone in passing a few times. But from what I had heard I had a good opinion of him.

"Lothíriel, Taravel. I have a request to make of you." We paused in the hall to hear him out. We exchange glances, wondering what he would ask.

"You have heard of the Lady Éowyn?"

"Who hasn't?" I asked dryly. "The tales of her grow every day and it has become hard to separate fact from fiction." He stepped closer to us and lowered his voice.

"She is healed from her physical injuries, but she has a melancholy about her that simply will not fade, no matter what I do. I wish for you to befriend her and see if you can banish this sadness from her." I looked at Lothíriel, she looked at me, and I knew that we were both thinking the same thing. He cared about her. Otherwise he would not have made the effort to seek us out.

"Of course we will do it, Faramir. Is she still in the Houses of Healing?" Lothíriel answered.

"Yes, she is." He hesitated before saying something else as well. "Thank you for agreeing to do this. You two were the only ones that I thought of who could maybe understand her. She is a shield maiden from Rohan and is very different from the other ladies at court."

"We are not the only ladies at court who are not shallow or cruel Faramir," Lothíriel stated.

"I know that, but I trust you two. I cannot say that of all the ladies at court." With that last statement he stepped backwards and continued on his way.

I blinked and looked at Lothíriel. "Why would he trust me? We've only spoken a handful of times."

"That is true, but I often talked about you in my letters to him. He has told me before that he feels that he knows you."

"Huh." I was staring after him as he rounded the corner and disappeared from view.

"Well," I began, "we have a promise to keep." And so we switched directions and ventured off to the Houses of Healing. I was curious to finally meet Lady Éowyn in person. I had caught a glimpse of her before but had never actually spoken to her. This would be interesting. When we reached our destination we inquired as to her whereabouts and were told that she was in the gardens. Dutifully, we started for the gardens and were soon faced with the dilemma of where in the gardens she was. We were so busy arguing over which direction that we should go that it took us several seconds to notice that we were not alone. When we did we abruptly cut off talking and with identical awkward smiles turned and faced a woman with golden blonde hair who was looking at us with a small smirk.

"Hello." Lothíriel began. "I am Lady Lothíriel and this is Lady Taravel. Are you by chance Lady Éowyn?" At the question I saw her stiffen before answering somewhat warily.

"I am."

"Oh good, we found you." And with that statement Lothíriel plopped down beside her on the bench she was sitting on. I sat down on Lady Éowyn's other side.

"I told you this was the right direction." I said, speaking over Éowyn.

Lothíriel sniffed. "A lucky guess."

"Like yours was any better. At least I was right." We glared at each other for a beat and then started to laugh. I could see Éowyn's gaze flickering back and forth between us.

"Call me Tara. Most people do." I said, addressing Éowyn directly.

"And you can call me Lothíriel." I could tell that Éowyn didn't know what quite to make of us. Most people didn't upon first meeting Lothi and I together. There was only the slightest hesitation as she spoke.

"Then you must call me Éowyn."

"Well, now that that's settled you must be wondering why we were looking for you." She nodded.

"Lothíriel here is Faramir's cousin. I believe that you know him?" The slightest blush stained her cheeks as she replied, "Yes."

"Well, we were bored of court and the general shallowness and backstabbing that takes place there. He suggested we come find you because you are utterly unlike them." I felt no guilt at my little white lie. I was not about to tell her what he had really said. Lothíriel went along with what I had said and nodded gravely.

"It is true."

"Then Tara," A little frown of confusion was on her face. "Are you related to him also?"

"Oh no. I'm Lothíriel's best friend. We grew up together. It is rare for you to see one of us without the other. Except of course in the mornings, for she is not really much of a morning person."

"That ghastly hour you get up at is not morning."

"The sun is out when I wake up," I pointed out.

"Barely," she muttered.

"We've had this disagreement since childhood as well," I said blatantly ignoring Lothíriel's annoyed expression. The frown had disappeared off Éowyn's face, and in its stead was a smile.

"I see," She murmured quietly.

"Have you seen much of Gondor since you arrived here?" Lothíriel asked cheerfully.

"No. I haven't left the Houses of Healing since I arrived."

"Well that simply won't do. Come," she said as she stood up. "We are going on a ride."

When Lothíriel is determined, not much can stop her. She is rather like a force of nature that way. I had taken to tagging along when she had a more unconventional idea to try to keep her out of major trouble. I had gotten better at it as the years passed, which was why I didn't question her and merely followed after her.

"Are you coming?" I called back to Éowyn, who was still sitting on the bench, a little in shock I thought. She seemed to shake her head, before she too followed after Lothíriel.

Once again I found myself at the stables saddling up Flash, even though I had already been there three times yesterday. After I had changed in to more appropriate attire, of course. While I had named my horse Flash in the Common Tongue simply because she was fast, and it was easy to pronounce; Lothíriel had gone a much more traditional route and had named her mare 'Aearwest' literally meaning sea breeze in Sindarin. She insisted that it was ironic considering she lives right by the sea. I told her it wasn't and teased her about it continually but she continued to ignore my teasing. Éowyn appeared, leading her horse Windfola. She already looked a little better being around horses again.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes." We led our horses a little ways away from the stables to wait for Lothíriel. But of course this was Lothíriel, and she never did what was expected of her. She came tearing out of there on Aearwest shouting, "Race you!" over her shoulder. Hurriedly I mounted, and Flash was off in... well... a flash. We were easily gaining on her, and I could hear Éowyn coming up behind me. The streets and then the ground were a blur as we burst out of the city gates and into the open. I easily had the lead. I had not yet found a horse that could match Flash for speed. Eventually we slowed down and then came to a stop on a small hill. We were breathless and laughing. Even Éowyn joined in.

"I haven't ridden that fast in a long time. And Tara, where did you get that horse? I have never seen one so fast." I grinned, pleased.

"She was a birthday gift from a friend I once helped, she is…not from around here. No one has ever been able to beat her over short distances. She does slow down after a bit," I admitted. Then I turned to Lothíriel.

"What were you thinking, riding out of the stables like that? You could have seriously injured someone."

"I warned the stable hands before so that I would have a clear path." She seemed quite proud of herself. "Still didn't beat you though, so oh well." She shrugged.

"It's pretty, isn't it? The white city." I was gazing at it.

"It is rather pretty," Éowyn admitted. "Especially from this distance. You can see it in its entirety from here."

We were quiet for a moment before Lothíriel broke the silence. "Enough of this! Come; let us ride." And ride we did. We showed Éowyn around the nearby hills and rode somewhat into the mountains as well, talking the whole while. It was… nice. Something normal, and normal was something that I had been severely lacking these last few months. We would have stayed out longer, but we got hungry and knew that people would start to look for us soon. It was established that we would meet again tomorrow after lunch and that we would show her a few of our favorite places. That set up, we went our separate ways. Lothíriel and I waited to talk until we were back in her rooms. Then she gave me a raised eyebrow (she's very good at that) and spoke.

"We were bored?" I knew exactly what she was talking about, my white lie to Éowyn about Faramir.

"Well it is not like we could come out and say that. We were sent to cheer her up." I grinned. "And it is obvious that they both have feelings for each other." She groaned before burying her head in one of the pillows scattered across her bed.

Her voice was muffled but I could still understand her. "Now you're going to play matchmaker, aren't you?"

"Probably," I admitted.

"I wish you would find someone already so you would stop meddling with other people's lives."

"I do not meddle." I was met with disbelieving silence, so I amended my statement. "A lot."

She lifted her head from the pillow and said sarcastically, "Oh, really?"

I didn't bother replying. We talked for a while longer before I made my way to my own rooms; the insides of I had seen precious little of these last few days. As I was walking I thought I saw someone in the shadows and paused, staring intently. When nothing moved, I dismissed it as my overactive imagination from reading so many books and continued on my way. I hummed another little tune to myself as I did so. I cleaned up some and changed back into my earlier dress. Riding attire was not appropriate for the dinner table

Dinner passed much the same way as it had the night before. Soon enough I was back in my rooms, reading a book of myths from the Haradrim people. I found them fascinating and perhaps stayed up later than I should have before I drifted off to sleep, still holding my book.

**A/N Well second chapter. What do you guys think? The next one should up on Tuesday, and after that I will only be updating once a week.**


	3. Chapter 3

I had somehow let it slip to Éowyn that I had received basic weapons training yesterday after lunch. She had gotten excited and insisted that we spar. I'd hurriedly went on to tell her that the sword was not my best weapon but she still wanted to spar. Which was how I found myself in an empty part of the gardens going over drills that I had not practiced in ages. I had managed to delay her for another three days so that I could practice. Not like it would do me much good, but still, practice is practice. It was barely light outside and was early even by my standards. I had managed to dig out my old practice clothes that Rian had packed. She insisted that I would need them someday and that she didn't feel right about leaving them behind. I had thanked her profusely.

I gritted my teeth. I had forgotten just how tiring wielding a sword was. I practiced archery regularly, which uses completely different muscles and does not take as much upper body strength, and it had been well over a year since I had last picked up a sword. Still, the practice drills were ingrained in my memory. I had no problem recalling them; it was the actual doing part that I was having trouble with. I took a quick break and wiped away a few stray hairs that had come undone from my braid. This also gave me the opportunity to give my arms a rest as they were starting to hurt.

I prepared myself and began again. Nothing fancy, just simple straight blocks and strikes with a solid stance. My uncle had told me often that the biggest mistake people made was trying to make it look good. Stick to the basics and you have a chance, if not a very big one but a chance nonetheless. I was so focused on what I was doing that I did not see him until he was right in front of me.

"You know something of swordplay." Startled, I looked up into the eyes of Strider.

"Some." I agreed.

"I did not realize that the ladies of Gondor had such skills."

"Not all of us. Only the very determined ones." I had let my sword point rest on the ground to give my arm a break from the weight.

"Is that so?" He stepped closer to me and gestured to my sword. "May I?"

"Of course." I handed it over, and he examined it for a moment before taking a couple steps backward and giving it a few experimental swings. He handed it back to me.

"It is of good quality and lighter than most swords."

"Yes, my father made sure of it. He said that if I was determined to learn I should have a sword best suited for me. I am out of practice, however."

"Why start now? I was curious when I saw that it was you."

I sighed. "Because lady Éowyn wanted to spar once she found out that I had received some training. I figured that I had better get some practice in before then. I know I am not going to win, but I would like to not completely embarrass myself."

He was smiling now. "A worthy goal. Would you like some assistance achieving it?"

"That would be fantastic," I breathed out. His smile grew and he drew his sword. There was nothing distinctive about his sword and it was clear that it had been used often.

He started out slowly and patiently repeated any moves that I requested of him and answered all of my questions. Then he began to pick up speed. Soon I had stopped trying to think about it and was reacting. That still didn't stop me from being disarmed, ending up on the ground, having a sword point hover a hair's breadth above my neck, or a combination of all three. But I was improving. Slowly old movements began to come back to me, and I forgot about my aching arm muscles. I was focused.

Once again I found myself on the ground but this time I still had my sword tightly gripped in my hand.

"Much better Taravel." I had told him earlier that calling me Lady Taravel every time that he wanted to correct something that I was doing was ridiculous. I told him to call me Tara. We compromised on Taravel. He held out his left hand for me to take and I accepted it as he lifted me off the ground with ease. It was warm, and calloused from years as a Ranger. He immediately let go of my hand and I found myself disappointed. My fingers twitched and I wondered over the reaction.

"So, do you think I will succeed in not embarrassing myself?"

He paused and stared at me intently. "I have no doubts that you will succeed at anything that you are determined to do." With that statement he left and I stood there, stunned. It was silly of me to have that kind of reaction over something as simple as words but then again I have always loved words. After standing there for several more seconds, I managed to shake it off and called after him.

"I will be practicing here at the same time for the next two days."

He stopped and looked back at me with lips curving into a smile. "I will be here."

That made me happy, and I was glad he had turned back around and had not seen me blush. Afterwards I went straight to my rooms to take a bath and actually get ready for the day. As it was, even after I had done all of this Lothíriel was still sleeping. Expecting this, I had brought my book with me to read so that I would not be bored. I had just reached the part where the slave girl had captured the prince's heart (literally, she cut it out of his chest; the Haradrim people have some strange ideas…) when she came stumbling out of her bedroom with half-lidded eyes. She collapsed next to me without saying a word, and I did not bother trying to talk to her until she had some food in her. A breakfast tray was placed on her lap, and I went back to my reading. I finished that particular myth and took away the moral that I should not make bargains with magical beings. It always seemed to end in death.

"How did your practice go?" I turned to look at her.

"It went well, especially since I had help."

"Help? Who helped you?"

I smirked, enjoying her reaction and could not wait to see how she would react when I told her who. "Strider." As expected, her reaction was highly entertaining.

Her eyes widened and her mouth parted slightly before she grinned. "So _your_ Ranger helped you then?"

"He is hardly _my_ Ranger."

"But you would like him to be," she said cheekily with a wink.

"Lothi, you shouldn't tease me without knowing all the facts. Besides I need some advice, and I need you to be serious about it."

She leaned further back against her seat. "Ask away."

I detailed my conversation with Strider and my subsequent reaction to his touch. "I'm just not sure how to go about this. I have never been interested enough before to actively pursue someone. And this is further complicated by the fact that he is a Ranger. What do I even do?"

She had listened intently with eyebrows furrowed for the duration of my rant before she started to speak. "I believe that you should see where this goes first before you think too deeply about the future. You have had feelings for others before, and they have disappeared in a few days once you got talking to them."

"I know I have, but this feels different. Those were only surface feelings and this feels like it could become something deeper, if I let it."

She was silent as she considered my statement before she began to talk again. "I believe you Tara, mostly because I have never heard you speak so freely about someone before. Usually I have to pry the truth out of you."

"You didn't have to pry the truth out of me before," I muttered.

She gave me a disbelieving look before replying. "Yes, I did. Now tell me everything from the beginning again, starting from the time that he first spoke to you." She leaned forward facing me.

With a sigh, I told her all about this morning, again. This time she interrupted and asked questions which I did my best to answer. Once I finished describing the exact color of his eyes for her she leaned back again and regarded me with a wise expression.

"Oh yes, you're in deep. Now tell me, when should I expect a betrothal announcement?"

I laughed and shoved her arm. "I'm not ready for marriage yet as you very well know. And I have only talked to him three times!"

She smirked. "Now Tara, don't you believe in love at first sight? I've seen you read all of those books about it."

"Exactly, fictional books with fictional characters. None of it was real! Things like that just don't happen in reality."

"Uh huh. Whatever you say." She was sniggering at me now, done being serious.

I crossed my arms and turned away from her in a huff. As I did so, I looked out at the sky and noticed the position of the sun. "Hurry up Lothi, or we're going to be late meeting Éowyn."

She muttered something under her breath that did not sound very ladylike before she jumped up and began to get dressed. Rian had disappeared as soon as she had given Lothíriel her breakfast tray, which was not all that uncommon. She knew that we liked to talk privately in the mornings. So I helped Lothíriel into her dress and did the lacings on her corset before Rian came strolling in and took over for me. She did her hair. Which I was grateful for, because I was not the best at it. We were finished in record time and well on our way to meet her.

We were going to show her the fashion district today and I was excited. I myself had a weakness for the Haradrim style jewelry. It was mostly gold, inlaid with blue and red stones of varying rarity. I preferred the more simplistic pieces. Secretly I wanted one of their dresses as well; they were beautiful but considered to show too much skin, mostly in the back. I had fallen in love with the dresses when I had first met Laili, a Haradrim tribal chief's daughter. Apparently, her father was the leader of a confederacy of tribes, seven in total. I had not found this part out until later, however.

Lothíriel had wanted to see a nearby Haradrim caravan about three years back, which was where we had first met Laili. She was in charge of the caravan and had greeted us cordially. Then I asked her a question about Haradrim wedding customs "Do you really tattoo yourselves before the ceremony and if so why?" This had caused her eyebrows to shoot up. Apparently not many people bothered asking about things like that. She had answered that "The tattoos represent her new life with her husband and are meant to be seen when she wears dresses. This prevents others from trying to win her over as they can clearly see that she is married by looking at her back." That has also explained why the dresses that they wore were so low in back. Then I asked another question and then another.

We had ended up staying until dusk. We met often for the few days that they stayed and even began a correspondence. She had sent me Flash as a birthday gift and Aearwest to Lothi. She had also convinced her father to sign a treaty of nonaggression once it became clear that war was coming. None of the tribes in the confederacy had gone to war and in fact supplied us with valuable information about troop movements before communication was abruptly cut off. I had not heard from her since then and worried about her. I had sent a letter off after the armies had returned victorious from Mordor and hoped to receive a reply before the coronation.

I was shaken out of my thoughts by the voice of Éowyn as she greeted us. We returned her greeting cheerfully and then we were off. I was trying to convince her to get a dress in a much brighter color then she was used to wearing.

"But it would go wonderful with your eyes."

"It is too bright," she said, eyeing the bolt of green fabric that I had shown her.

I fixed her with a firm stare. "The only colors that I have seen you wear are dark green and white. Now I get that you are the White Lady of Rohan but please, branch out a little." Lothíriel swiped the fabric from my hands and held it up Éowyn's face. "She is right you know; it would go wonderfully with your eyes." And with that said she carried it to the vendor and paid for it herself, ignoring Éowyn's protests. I also handed Lothíriel a gold colored embroidered sash. She paid for that as well.

"It is useless to protest. Consider it our welcome to Gondor gift," I said while Lothi handed me half of the packages to carry.

"Now it is off to the dressmakers!" I was already following after her when she spoke. I knew from experience that she could leave me in the dust if I was not careful. I grabbed Éowyn's wrist and gave it a single tug before dropping it so that I could keep up.

The dressmaker's appointment went by in a blur of questions, measurements, and how best to combine the styles of Gondor and Rohan. I mostly talked to Éowyn, for I could tell that she was feeling overwhelmed by this experience. It was hard for me to keep up at first as well. Life in the city was much faster paced than I was used to.

"Well that was certainly different." Éowyn muttered to herself.

"And we are not even done. We still have to go see the jewelry sector. Come on." This time it was Lothíriel who grabbed Éowyn's wrist, and once again we were off. I saw nothing of interest, and I was simply drifting back and forth amongst the displays when a necklace did catch my eye. It was a pale rose gold color, something that I did not see often but was in love with. I stepped closer and noticed that it was the Haradrim symbol for renewal. I picked it up and held it up to the light. I decided that yes I did want it and haggled with the vendor for a fair price. Once one was quoted to me, I paid for it and then slipped the necklace around my neck and set off to find the others; somehow we had been separated. I was not too worried. I knew that all I had to do was listen for the sound of Lothi's voice. It tended to carry. I wandered around for a few more moments before I recognized her laugh and moved towards the sound. I found them just as Lothíriel had managed to convince Éowyn that it was okay for her to buy the necklace for Éowyn and no that it was not too expensive.

"Oh there you are Tara, where did you wander off to?" She glanced at my neck. "Ah, I see. It is very pretty."

"Thank you Lothíriel."

"Well, now that that is done, let's go eat."

We had found a small place when we had first arrived that was near the jewelry sector, and that was where we usually ended up eating. The food was reasonably priced, and it was good.

"What did you think Éowyn?"

"It was an interesting experience. I usually do not explore with other girls."

"Well," I said dryly. "We are hardly like other girls."

"No, you are not," She agreed.

**A/N Well here is the next chapter. I appreciate all the story follows that I have received but could I also pretty please get a review or two? Please tell me what you think! Next update should be next Tuesday. **


	4. Chapter 4

I woke up the next morning surprisingly not sore. But then I remembered that the soreness usually set in on the second day after training. I put my hair up in a basic bun, one of the few styles that I could do by myself. I grabbed a quick breakfast and once again headed off to the gardens to meet Strider. I was looking forward to it. Perhaps I would be able to sort my feelings out sooner than later.

The gardens really were beautiful this time of year I reflected as I looked around. All the flowers were in bloom, and it was green everywhere that I saw. As I moseyed on over to where we were to practice, I saw that he was already there. He was completely still but turned to face me when I stepped closer.

"Good morning Taravel; did you sleep well?"

"I did, thank you, did you?"

"When I could. I had much to do last night."

"Then the last thing you probably want to do is get up before dawn just to help some novice with her sword work." I said teasingly with a smile on my face.

"My mornings are for me to do as I wish Taravel, and I wish to use them to help you." His gaze was direct as he said this and he did not break eye contact with me the entire time. That was not the response I was expecting. I did not have anything to say to that, which was a rarity. He simply smiled at my silence and drew his sword.

"Are you ready?" I nodded and the practice began.

Yesterday he had started out much slower, which gave me time to adjust to wielding a sword again. There was no such coddling today. It was fast, with me ending up 'dead' too many times to count. But this forced me to be faster and to go on instinct and not plan out my moves. As our practice progressed I got much better at keeping a hold on my weapon, which was a very good thing. I also had faster reaction times than when I had first started. As I 'died' again, this time with a sword point resting on my stomach I wondered where Strider had learned to fight, but that question was quickly driven out of my mind as we started up again. When we finally stopped I was breathing heavily, and my right arm was visibly shaking. I sheathed my sword and flexed my fingers to get rid of the strain. When I next looked up; it was to see Strider studying me intently.

"What?"

"You should stretch so your muscles don't seize up. It will do you no good to practice if your arm goes stiff."

"I'll do that."

"You should also stretch out your back; when you twist, your power comes from there."

"Anything else?" I asked dryly.

"You mentioned earlier that you are better at archery?"

"Yes…?"

"I would like to see you shoot."

Surprised but pleased I asked, "When?"

"Perhaps three days from now? It would give you time to rest your arm after sparring with Éowyn."

"Okay," I said simply. He nodded once and walked away, easily fading into the shadows of the nearby trees.

I blew out a huff of breath into the morning air and stretched like he had suggested. It felt good to do so. I unfolded myself from my position, and trotted off to my rooms. I wanted to get there before my sweat dried and I got cold, which was a miserable feeling. A warm bath was waiting for me when I got back. I blessed Rian, who had drawn it for me. She technically was not my maid but acted as such most of the time, she knew my routines well. I eased into the tub and leaned my head back in the water so that my hair floated around me. My eyes closed and I relaxed for several long minutes before I roused myself long enough to actually wash. I hurried through the process; I had spent too long soaking and was running behind.

For all my thoughts that I would be late, I was wrong. I was still there before Lothíriel woke up. I was extremely pleased with myself. I picked up my book that I had left here yesterday. This myth seemed to be cheerier than the one I had read earlier and actually seemed like it would have a happy ending. I did not want to get my hopes up too high though; I had thought the same before and been taken by surprise by a truly tragic ending. I had barely begun to read when the door opened to reveal Lothíriel... dressed and ready for the day. What was going on?

"Oh don't look at me that way. I can actually be ready on time once in a while." I said nothing, waiting for the real explanation.

"I had those dreams again, alright? That's why I'm ready early. I couldn't go back to sleep."

"The same exact ones?"

"Yes. They are always the same. They never change."

I sighed and stood up to give her a hug. "They will pass. They always do."

"I know." Her voice was quiet as she replied. "I just wish that they would stop completely." We stood there for a moment longer.

"Come," I said briskly. "Let's go cheer you up."

Which was how we found ourselves some time later crouching on a roof that overlooked the training courts. We had discovered this place a few weeks earlier. From here we could observe and not be seen; the angle was wrong for those below to see us. She liked to watch the men practice, and I liked to predict who would win and who would lose their temper. I was usually right too. Today was especially fun, because the Rohirrim were practicing, and many of them had volatile tempers. Lothíriel liked it because they filled out their armor nicely. She has a weakness for arms.

I was quietly gleeful as another person that I predicted would win did.

"How do you do that?" Her tone of voice was incredulous.

I shrugged. "It's a gift. Too bad I don't have it with horses. I could make a lot of money betting on races."

"Hmm."

We stayed silent for the most part as we watched. They finished a little later, and I dragged her to our next destination: the kitchen. She needed treats. Still munching on our desserts, we went back to my rooms. The post came around this time, and I was hoping for a letter from Laili. I was becoming progressively more worried as time continued to pass without a reply. Today appeared to be my lucky day. There was indeed a letter waiting for me. Eagerly, I ripped it open and began to read with Lothíriel looking over my shoulder.

_Dear Taravel (and Lothíriel too, I know you are reading this as well), _

_I have not had the time to write until now. We have been very busy handling border disputes, __and__ there have been some minor skirmishes, but none of us were seriously injured. We have settled these disputes and now have eleven tribes under our banner. Many were sick of Sauron's rule but could not do anything about it, until now. With these additions to the Confederacy; we have been able to convince other tribes to sign a treaty of nonaggression as well as open up new avenues of trade._

_Unfortunately, with the defeat of Sauron, there has been a power struggle within Harad. Many tribes are signing treaties and gathering allies. I fear that war is imminent, certainly within the year. My father is continuing to gather support, because he intends to wait this war out and protect our own borders. He says to fight now is folly and would only rip us to shreds. We have survived such conflicts before and will endure this one. We will not be the aggressors, only the defenders. It is much easier to protect than to invade, and we know our lands well._

_My father has begun to talk about sending me to Gondor as an ambassador once the new king is crowned and we have more of an idea of his character. He is wary to trust a man of the West so easily despite having a treaty with your father, Lothíriel. If my father does indeed decide to send me I should arrive near the end of summer._

_I was relieved to get your letter Taravel. I worried about you once our spies found out that there was to be an attack on Minas Tirith. Remember, keep your head up and your stance proud. I will try to send you regular letters but that may be impossible as the situation here escalates. Now, enough of serious matters. I have some happy news that I would like to share with you._

_Do you remember that man, Mateen, who I told you of earlier? Well he has asked me to marry him and I have accepted. We are to be married ten months from today and I wish for you both to be there. It would not be the same without you._

_Please, do not worry about me. All storms must pass, and the one that endures comes out stronger for it._

_Yours, Laili _

I reread the letter a second time to make sure that I had not missed anything. Finally I looked at Lothíriel.

"I'm glad that she is safe. Though I am worried, if war really is coming as she says…"

"Then it could easily spill over to Gondor, and we are weak. All of the West is weak right now. We cannot afford to fight another war by ourselves." She finished for me, frowning.

"I hope that Laili does come then. Together we could last."

"If the others could put aside their distrust of Harad, then yes we could last. But they do not distinguish between the different tribes as we do, Tara. They have not forgotten the destruction that the mûmakil caused."

"Yes, but those were from Far Harad. Laili lives in Near Harad."

"All I am saying is that it will be hard to convince the public that they are different from the ones they fought at Pelennor Fields."

"Perhaps it would help if they knew of the information that the Confederacy had given us."

"Maybe Tara, but fear is a hard thing to fight." She paused for a beat. "But she is getting married, and that is something to celebrate."

We talked of weddings and other happy things but never did completely forget about what the rest of the letter said. We continued to talk until I realized that we were going to be late to meet Éowyn. Lothíriel made no effort to get up.

"I told Faramir to tell Éowyn that you have an upset stomach and unfortunately would not be able to meet with her today and that I as your best friend would stay and take care of you, but you would be well enough to spar tomorrow."

"Now look who's meddling."

"Oh hush. It is for a good cause."

"Well, now that you have me house bound for the rest of the day, what are we going to do?"

We ended up talking some more and playing card games until it was time for dinner. She went to eat, and I was left to my own devices after eating the soup that was brought up to me. She was taking our 'cover' very seriously. I read for a while longer before I began to get bored. The stars were out, and no trace of the sun remained. I debated back and forth before I grabbed my cloak and went to the stables to see Flash. I pulled the hood on over my head and stuck to less traveled paths. I reached Flash's stall with no trouble and saddled her. A ride would help me clear my head and stop worrying about the situation in Near Harad. There was nothing I could do to change it. As I lead her out of the stables my hood slipped, and I quickly pulled it back up.

"Are you riding alone?" I jumped, startled, and searched for the owner of the voice. He stepped out of the shadows. I recognized him as Strider and let out the breath that I had been holding.

"Are you riding alone Taravel?" He repeated.

"Yes."

"Does anybody else know where you are going?"

"No. I made the decision on impulse."

"I see." His footsteps were quiet as he walked towards me.

His gaze was steady as his eyes met mine. "It is dangerous to ride alone."

"I hardly believe that orcs are going to attack me as soon as I leave the city just because it is night."

"It is not only of orcs that I speak. What if your horse threw you and you fell and could not get up? What if you became lost in the mountains or a thousand and one other dangers that I could name?"

"I would find a way."

"Perhaps," he agreed. "You are not one to give up easy." He appeared to be considering something before he spoke again. "I will go with you. That way you will have protection."

"You do not have to—"

"Yes I do. Because I know that you will go no matter what I say. This way, you will be safe. I do have some experience with surviving in the wilds after all." He was smiling as he said this last part and I realized that he was teasing me.

I grumbled before giving in. I knew that he would not give up either and this seemed the easiest solution. I did briefly consider leaving while he readied Brego but quickly dismissed the thought. It was petty and besides, he would be able to track me easily. As we rode out, my annoyance faded and I was content to enjoy the ride. We did not speak, but it was not an uncomfortable silence.

"You are worried about something." It was not a question.

"How…"

"Did I know? It was easy. You are never this quiet for so long."

My mouth opened and closed again before I actually decided to speak. "It is nothing that I can change so I should not dwell on it. Do not worry about it," I said with a smile. He did not appear to be convinced but did not ask again.

We turned back to the city soon after that. The ride had helped, in some ways, I thought as I closed my eyes in bed. But in other ways, it had left me even more confused. I groaned before turning over so that my face was buried in my pillow. Why did life have to be so confusing? It would be so much easier if there were personalized instructions to go along with our birth.

**A/N And that was the next installment of Fallout. Thank you for the reviews, I really appreciate them. Thoughts. comments, questions?**


	5. Chapter 5

Rian had wanted to try out a new hairstyle on me. She insisted it would flatter my face. She had never steered me wrong before, so I let her and I ended up with half of my hair in a 'waterfall' braid and the ends gathered into a bun the rested on the bottom left side of the back of my head. From what I could see in the mirror it looked good. It certainly was different from what I had seen the other ladies wear, but I already liked it. I turned my head from side to side to examine it better.

"And you are sure that it will stay?"

"Yes, I learned the style from refugees that worked the fields. It will hold; the style is very durable."

"Okay then. I am ready." I took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. I had changed before Rian had experimented with my hair. It is a pain to pull clothes on over your head and attempt to not mess it up. I grabbed my sword and headed out the door with Lothíriel following after me. This was going to be interesting. My brothers had found out that I was going to spar with Éowyn and wanted to watch, and then Amrothos had found out and told his two brothers who had told some of the Swan Knights… the news had spread rapidly. Eomer was going to be there as well, which made sense since he was Éowyn's brother.

The crowd had grown in the past few minutes and I could hear whispers just on the edge of my hearing. I tried to ignore them and focus but it was difficult. Instead I thought back to earlier this morning. I had met with Strider again, but we had just gone through the basics and kept it short. He did not want to over-tire me before my actual spar. He had given me some last words of advice, and then we parted ways.

I was ready and waiting for Éowyn, who appeared. I drew my sword and she did the same. Then we began. It was easy to focus after that. She was not as fast as Strider and did not have as much power behind her blows, but that did not mean she was an easy opponent. It was still a struggle to keep up with her, and we were both equally stubborn, not wanting to give up. As I blocked a particularly jarring blow I remembered to loosen my grip some so my arm would not feel the full force of the impact. I was starting to settle into a rhythm when abruptly she changed it on me. I barely managed to block and was beginning to slow a little as well. My arm was beginning to ache and it showed. Éowyn pounced on this weakness and I managed to hold out for a few more minutes before I was 'dead' with a sword point resting on my stomach. I counted it as a victory that I had not been disarmed or ended up on the ground.

"You are better than you made it seem."

"I have practiced these past three days."

"It shows." she said simply. She removed her sword as we spoke and sheathed it, as I did the same with mine.

"Tara!" I spun around. I would recognize that booming voice anywhere.

"Uncle!" He easily parted the crowd and strode forward to meet me. When he reached me he engulfed me in a hug that lifted me off my feet. He released me and settled his hands on my shoulders.

"When I was told you were here I could hardly believe it. You haven't practiced your sword work in so long." I then remembered Éowyn's presence.

"This is Lady Éowyn. She is the one responsible for me picking up a sword again. Éowyn this is my Uncle Thorondur, he is the one who taught me when I was a child."

They exchanged polite greetings, and as they did so the crowd slowly dispersed.

"I rode ahead, but your parents should be here soon." I looked at Éowyn and she waved me away smiling. "Go, meet your family. Lothíriel and I will be fine." I grinned and turned to my uncle.

"Let me get changed and then I will go with you to the gate." He held out his arm gallantly to escort me and I took it laughing.

"How is Dol Amroth?"

"It is much the same as ever." And with that we chattered on about people we both knew and exchanged stories. We reached my rooms, still talking, and I excused myself and went to go change. I chose a dark turquoise dress that clung to my top half tightly and a gently flared skirt. I kept my hair the same.

"I am ready." He offered me his arm again and we were off.

"Is than a Haradrim symbol?" he asked with a nod to my necklace.

"It is. It means renewal."

"Appropriate."

"I thought so."

"Are you still practicing learning their language?"

"Yes, I can read and write it well, but speaking it is a whole other matter. I still can't get rid of my accent and it is so hard to practice it when there are no native speakers," I said with a sigh.

"Well, you are the first to attempt it in many years. Harad and Gondor are not exactly on the best terms."

"I know. It doesn't help that our cultures are so different."

"Perhaps, but you and Laili have done much to bridge the gap. The Confederacy's assistance was very helpful; it will go a long ways towards showing Gondor that they mean no harm."

We had reached the gate of the city and were waiting off to the side.

"They should be here any minute." As he spoke my brothers came hurrying over and we waited together. Our wait was not long as our parents came riding through. My mother dismounted first and engulfed us in a hug. My mother, though nearing fifty had the looks and energy of a much younger woman with no traces of grey in her hair.

"I missed you all so much. It has been months since we have all been together." She smiled and pulled back so that she could look at us. Father was slower and more dignified in his dismount but also hugged us.

"You will never guess where I found your daughter."

My mother raised an eyebrow. "Really? Do tell Thorondur."

"On the practice courts, sparring with the Lady Éowyn, slayer of the Witch-King."

"You have taken up the sword again?"

"Yes father, I have."

"That is good. You never know when you might need those skills, and I would prefer you to be in practice should the need ever arise." That was his roundabout way of telling me that he was proud of me for sticking to it and not giving up.

"Did you win Tara?"

"She did not but she held her own."

"Good." My mother said simply. "Come, we must catch up somewhere more private.

We ended up in my rooms since they were the closest and apparently somewhat bigger than my brothers'. My family is very comfortable with each other, and soon we were sprawled out in various positions on the couches, chairs, and the floor. I booted my younger brother Maethor out of my comfy chair, and he was the one who ended up on the floor, sulking. We talked and exchanged funny stories and took turns interrogating my brother Barech about his mystery woman. We finally managed to get it out of him that her name was Lady Saelris and that she was here at court. I frowned and went through all the names of the ladies I had met before I realized who he was speaking of and mentally kicked myself for not remembering her name sooner.

"Well good. She is one of the few ladies that I actually like. She has a fantastic sense of humor; I was hard pressed to keep from laughing when she was giving me a running commentary of everything that was happening at court."

"I'm glad you approve Tara," Barech said dryly from his chair opposite mine. "I know you would not keep your opinion to yourself if you despised her."

"That is true, you can always count on her to tell you her honest opinion." My brother Thelion said.

"Would you rather I lie through my teeth?" I asked tartly.

"No Tara," My mother assured me. "We wouldn't want you to act any other way."

Our talk turned to other things, which led to a discussion of how we had not played games together as a family in a while. Which meant that Maethor was sent to get my cards from where I had stashed them the day before. My family is extremely competitive when we play games. I am too butI'm just more quiet about it. It is much more fun to watch them throw insults back and forth than participate. They forget about me and then I come up from behind and win. Sometimes this strategy works, sometimes it does not. But I always had fun and my sides always hurt from laughing so much when we were done. Eventually we finished and my various family members filed out the door. My mother, however, stayed behind. I could tell that she wanted to talk to me privately.

"Have you heard from Laili? I know you were worried about her."

"Yes, I received a letter from her only yesterday. She is fine."

"I am glad to hear it." She looked at me carefully before she spoke again. "Is there anything else bothering you? You seem…different."

"Nothing else is bothering me mother." I was not ready to tell her of Strider yet.

"All right then." And then she too walked out the door. I grabbed my book and settled down to read some before dinner. I was thoroughly engrossed in the story and did not hear my door open.

"Tara, I need to talk to you." I let out a heavy sigh and slipped a bookmark in between the pages to hold my place.

"What is it, Lothi?"

"It is good news." At that I finally looked up and saw that she was smiling.

"Well spit it out then."

"Faramir and Éowyn are betrothed."

"What?! When did that happen?" I sat up so fast that my vision blurred for a few seconds.

"After you left to go meet your parents we were all three talking and I made my excuses and left them alone near that gate to the garden, you know the one?"

"The kissing gate?"

"Precisely. Anyway, he asked her there and she accepted, obviously. They are not going to announce it officially until after the coronation." She was grinning now.

"Well that happened fast. I mean, I knew that they had feelings for each other but to be betrothed already…"

"I asked them the same question. They said that they knew that they were supposed to be together so why wait?"

"I suppose that makes sense. How long are they waiting before holding the ceremony?"

"The usual time, eight months. Éowyn was not very happy when she found out that Gondorian betrothals last that long."

"I can imagine."

"They found me and told me all of this and said that I could tell you as well but to not tell anyone else yet."

"I will not tell anyone then. So, Éowyn is to become a Gondorian noble; that will be interesting to watch."

"It will indeed."

"Oh, guess what Barech told us? Apparently he is sweet on Lady Saelris."

"It seems as if everybody is falling in love."

"Well it is spring; tis the season." She laughed at that. We moved on to other topics, which somehow circled back to my fight with Éowyn and then training with Strider.

"So, when are you seeing him again?"

"The day after tomorrow. He wants to see my archery skills."

"Well, you are better with a bow than you are with a sword. Maybe you will surprise him."

"Maybe," I agreed.

"Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

"We went on a ride last night." I blurted out. The look on her face was priceless.

"AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?!" I winced at the loud volume but dutifully explained why I had not had the time to tell her and then told her what had actually happened.

"And then he told me that it was not safe for me to ride alone and that he would come with me."

"And what happened on your ride?"

"We didn't talk much. And then he asked me what was bothering me, and I told him that it was nothing to worry about. As you recall, yesterday I got that letter from Laili."

"And then what happened?"

"Nothing much. We rode for a while longer and then turned back. It was nice, not having to say anything."

"Hmm. Next time you come wake me up to tell me that, I do not care what time it is, understand?"

"I understand Lothi."

**A/N Here is chapter five. Questions, comments, and things you liked? I appreciate all the reviews and story follows/favorites that this story had received. **


	6. Chapter 6

The day of rest had been good for me, I reflected as I picked up my bow and slung a quiver full of arrows across my back. I was still sore, but by now it was manageable. I hummed a scrap of a song that had come into my head as I ambled on over to the archery range. It was so early that no one was out yet, and besides, the range saw less traffic than the practice courts anyway. He was already there waiting. I was not surprised; I had learned that he was always somewhat early. I grinned and waved cheerfully in Strider's direction.

"Did you rest well Taravel?"

"Yes, you?"

"When I was able to sleep." I tilted my head to the side in question.

"Do not worry about it."

"Alright." I said as I stood beside him, then I walked closer to the target to begin.

I took my time to start and paid attention to my stance and how I held the bow. It was never a bad idea to revisit the fundamentals. I drew the bowstring back to just before my ear, held it for a beat and then released. It thudded into the wood at the edge of the center circle. I smiled in satisfaction and again took my time before I let the arrow fly. It landed a little closer than the previous one. I kept this process up, gradually increasing my speed until I was firing on instinct. After I released my final arrow, I lowered my bow to admire my handiwork. Almost all were in the center ring, with a few stray arrows on the outside rings of the target.

"You are right, you are much better at archery than swordplay."

I laughed and told him. "You just complimented me while simultaneously insulting me."

"I'm sorry?"

"Oh I took no offense, it is a valuable skill to have, especially at court."

"That happens often then?"

"Oh yes, and it is fun to watch. I don't participate though. The best is when two ladies want the same man and they get creative. I suppose I will be seeing a lot of that after the coronation. Especially with the ladies Saeril and Faerel; if I were the king I would stay far away from them!" I was smirking as I turned to look at him in time to see the oddest expression flitter across his face.

"Really?"

"Oh, yes."

"Did your uncle teach you how to shoot?" Well that was an abrupt change of subject.

"No actually, it was my mother. It is a tradition in my family for the females to learn archery. My uncle was the one who taught me the sword and I was much older when I started learning it."

"That explains much."

I laughed as I moved forward to retrieve my arrows. Once I was finished, I moved past my former position several paces. I was going to increase the distance between me and the target every time I emptied my quiver. I settled into my stance again, and began to shoot, going much faster than I had earlier. All of this was familiar to me and brought back memories of my mother kneeling beside me and guiding my movements. I had been young when I first learned, perhaps five or six. I lowered my bow once again and walked forward to inspect the target. I had done better this time. I pulled out the arrows again and turned to go back for a third round.

"Are you going to shoot? I am curious to see how good you are."

"I will." He chose the target next to mine and began to shoot.

He was good; I will give him that. Which once again was not surprising. I was happy to see that in this particular skill I was much closer to his level.

"Well," I said slowly, "it doesn't surprise me that you are good at this. Another skill from being a Ranger?"

"Yes." He said simply as he went to retrieve his arrows. He was back beside me in minutes.

"How far back can you go and still hit the center ring of the target?" he asked.

I considered the question briefly and looked backwards to eyeball the distance before I pointed to a rather forlorn looking tree. "That far."

His eyebrows rose in surprise. "That is quite a distance to shoot from and maintain accuracy."

"I said I could hit it, I never said it would have much force to it." I was already moving and transitioned into a jog.

I took a deep breath and got into the ready position. As I drew the arrow back to my anchor point, my mother's words came to mind. _"Remember Tara, the target is still the same size regardless of what distance you shoot at. You know what it looks like and your body knows what to do. Trust your instincts and release. You will hit it."_ I slowly released the breath that I had been holding and let the arrow fly free. I immediately hurried towards the target with Strider close behind me. As I neared it I broke out into a grin. It had hit. It was right on the border of the next ring but, it was still inside the center.

"I told you I could make the shot."

"It's impressive, Taravel truly impressive." He was smiling and reached ahead of me to pull out the arrow for me. He handed it off to me, and I accepted it.

"I need to be going now. Same place as usual for sword practice?"

"Yes Strider, I will see you tomorrow."

"Goodbye Taravel."

I watched him leave as I toyed with the arrow in my hands. My thumb rubbed over the fletching before I finally put it back in my quiver. I let out a puff of breath into the morning air. I truly was well on my way to having stronger feelings for him and there was nothing I could do about it. As I vocalized my thoughts and feelings to Lothíriel, her smile became wider and wider. She didn't interrupt me as I detailed the conversation that I had had with him. Especially the part about him seeing me tomorrow.

"He still wants to see you, that's a good sign. If he was just practicing with you to be nice and prepare you for your spar with Éowyn, he would have come up with a reason why he couldn't continue."

"You really think so?"

"I know so." That made me feel somewhat better about the situation.

"I'm usually not like this, and I hate it!" It was my turn to bury my head in a pillow.

"Well Tara, I don't know how to tell you this, but this is all part of growing up. Later you will look back on all of this and laugh at yourself."

"When did you get so wise?"

"When you started going crazy over this man, one of us has to stay sane. Though usually you're the sane one dispensing sage advice." She added that last part thoughtfully. Without looking I reached blindly for another pillow and chucked it at her. It landed harmlessly on the floor.

"You're going to have to do better than that Tara." With those words of challenge hanging in the air, I removed my face from the pillow and threw it at her. She ducked, but I already had another one sailing through the air. It hit her in the face with a soft thump. It turned in to an all-out war with a truce finally being declared. We were giggling like little girls when we were done and pillows were scattered throughout the room. Lothíriel's hair looked like a mess and I was sure that mine did not look much better. When one of us would finally calm down the other would laugh and it would set us off again. When we were finally done we sat up from where we had fallen on the floor and surveyed the damage. I was the first to break the silence.

"Rian is going to be very mad at us." I said with great solemnity.

"Well, we'd better clean up some then." We talked as we did so, about a thousand and one things of no great importance.

"We have to hurry if we are going to be on time to meet Éowyn."

"We will get there in time, don't worry Tara." As it was, we barely made it. Lothíriel shot me a triumphant look as we settled into our chairs.

"So Éowyn, I heard that you and Faramir are betrothed. Congratulations!"

"Thank you." She smiled and shook her head. "Sometimes it all seems like a dream. Sauron defeated, Rohan free from the grip of Wormtounge, and now I am betrothed. I never thought that I could be this happy."

"I am glad that you are."

"Now, how did you know that he is the right one? You have only known him for about a month, right?"

"You are right Tara. I can't really explain it, I just knew. I knew as soon as I saw him, really."

"Love at first sight," I murmured. "So it really does happen in real life."

"It can, but I don't believe that it happens very often. I am just incredibly lucky to have found him."

I nodded, and we moved on to other topics, namely Harad. It all started when she asked me what my necklace meant. I answered and it then sparked a debate between the three of us about that we should do about Harad.

"But they fought for Sauron!"

"Not all of them did, and the majority that did were from Far Harad and those that weren't came from the far south-east of Near Harad. Besides, there is a Confederacy that exists in Near Harad that passed on valuable information. Without them we would not have known about the Corsair fleet. Dol Amroth has a treaty with them." Lothíriel argued.

I added to her argument. "We have known Laili for over three years. She has never betrayed us and has been our friend."

"Why don't more people know about this Confederacy?"

"Would they believe that they have helped us? Not many in the city are open-minded. Those who live on the far borders and the coast line know to take allies wherever you can get them. It has been how they have survived for so long."

"Who exactly is Laili?"

"She is the daughter of the leader of the Confederacy. She will inherit the position of tribal chief after the death of her father. However, it is not clear if she will also be the leader of the Confederacy. She has a strong will, so if she wants it I have no doubts that she will get it."

"How many tribes are in this Confederacy?"

"Eleven."

"So many," She breathed. "And they are all friendly to Gondor?"

"As long as we do not attack, then yes," I answered. "You have to understand that Harad is a very difficult environment to live in. Sauron promised all the tribes of Harad land in the West as well as food and stability in Harad. Harad has had very few kings, and they live mostly as scattered tribes with no leader to unite them. Those that initially refused his offer were hunted down and made an example of. Some joined after that but the few that did not banded together and formed a Confederacy. They were nomads anyway and avoided being killed by constantly moving around. When they saw that Sauron was amassing a large force they began to send word to Dol Amroth and we passed along their messages. They have done much to help us."

Eowyn was quiet for several moments as she processed this information. "I see. Does anyone else not from Dol Amroth know about this?"

"My father told the king. But it has not become common knowledge. It is not a secret though so feel free to tell whoever you like."

"Well now that we have discussed politics, let's move on to other lighter topics."

We discussed Éowyn's plans for after the coronation and what we were going to wear to the coronation. We laughed as we talked and gradually I forgot about the troubles that Laili was facing.

**A/N Well that was the next chapter. What do you guys think? Don't be shy about leaving a review.**


	7. Chapter 7

Everyone was in a frenzy of preparation for the coronation that was to take place two days from now. I had retreated to the library to find some peace as not many ventured there. I had found a place by a window that was out of the way and caught up on some reading that I had been meaning to get to for some time. I reached forward to grab another book and winced as my muscles protested the motion. I had thought that my body was adjusting to training with Strider but apparently I was wrong. I sighed and let my hand drop, taking it as a sign that I should really go meet my mother for my final dress fitting. I did not want to be late. I gathered up the books that I had been reading and put them back in their places.

Sometime later, I found myself standing still while the shop girls adjusted my corset to get the best possible fit for the dress. They made a few tiny adjustments to make sure that the dress would flow smoothly over my body and not wrinkle before they helped me into the dress, which was a dark blue bordering on black color. I stood there patiently as they made more last minute adjustments and then went out to show my mother. It was fun to walk with such a flared skirt as it made swishing noises at my every movement. I stood in front of my mother for inspection and obediently turned as she said. I faced her once again as she walked forward and took a hold of my hands.

"You look beautiful Tara, come see." She tugged me forward until I was in front of the mirror.

She stepped aside so that I could only see my reflection in the mirror. As I examined my appearance I was glad that I had gone with sleeves that were tight to the wrist, unlike the current style of sleeves being tight to the elbow and then gently flaring out. A few small iridescent stones had been sewn onto the neckline and as I turned around, it was repeated on the back which dipped slightly lower than was currently acceptable. I smiled. It was a faint echo of the styles of Harad, though the back was a much more modified version.

"I love it!" I said happily.

"Well that is good as you are the one who has to wear it. I am glad that you choose a simpler style. I want the focus to be on you, not your dress and I can guarantee that most of the single ladies will do the exact opposite in an effort to attract the attentions of the King of Gondor and the King of Rohan." She paused and then said with some wistfulness, "My baby girl is all grown up."

I stepped forward and hugged her. "I will always be your baby girl, Mother, no matter how old I get." She returned my hug and then took a step back.

"Let's get you out of this dress, you don't want to be late meeting Lothíriel."

I turned and went back to change and the girls who worked at the dressmaker's carefully lifted the dress up and over my body so as to not disturb the position of the pins. I was soon back in the dress that I had come in wearing and was off to meet Lothíriel.

888

"No. I am not doing that. No Lothi! Stop looking at me like that, you know it doesn't work on me."

"Please Tara!"

"No, if you want to get yourself killed that's your business but I am having nothing to do with it."

"I am hardly going to get myself killed, stop being so dramatic."

"You want to try to ride Firefoot, the king of Rohan's horse without his permission. That is completely idiotic and I will have absolutely nothing to do with it. I am not going to help you distract the stable hands and that is final."

"But there are not going to be many people around. It's midday and it is hot. No one sane is out and about."

"Exactly, no one sane. I'm not sure who will kill you first, the horse or the king. Have fun, I am going to leave now so that when you get caught I will have a good alibi."

"Some friend you are." She huffed.

"If you need me I will be in the library, staying indoors like all the sane people." I shouted over my shoulder as I strode away.

I was safely tucked away in my corner, reading about the War of the Last Alliance when there was a disturbance in the courtyard outside my window. Interested, I set my book aside and continued to watch as several Rohirrim scurried around like ants. I deduced that Lothíriel had gone through with her plan and that something had happened. The courtyard cleared and I went back to my reading. I would hear about what happened soon enough, and it would be best if she had some time to cool off before she told me. I stayed put because this was where I had told her I would be. I settled down in the window seat with my knees drawn up to my chin as I people-watched. It was cooler now, and there was much more traffic.

I was starting to get hungry and was contemplating leaving when I heard the sound of angry footfalls heading my way. I scooted over to one side in preparation for Lothíriel's entrance, because I had known her for so long I could easily tell it was her by the way she walked and could also tell her mood by her footsteps. I prepared myself for a long rant/vent session and wished that I had the foresight to bring some food with me. I assembled my features into a neutral expression as Lothi rounded the corner. She collapsed down next to me and seemed to be seething, I let her be and waited for her to speak.

"I succeeded in riding him around in the paddock at the back and didn't get caught until I brought him back."

"How did you manage that?"

"I am not quite sure. But I was caught by the horse lord himself."

"Oh, and how did that go?"

"He was angry at first and then he seemed to think that it was hysterical; then we had a war of words." There was silence as she sat glowering in the distance.

"And then?"

"And then he asked me who I was, and I told him that I was Lothíriel, the princess of Dol Amroth. The oddest expression crossed his face when I told him that and he got extremely confrontational again. I don't know why."

"Could it have something to do with the fact that you took his horse without his permission? A feat I am still not sure how you accomplished."

"No, it has to be something else. He reacted more negatively to my name than what I actually did."

"I don't have any suggestions for you, though that is strange." We talked for a while longer before my stomach started to grumble and make other assorted noises.

"I didn't realize that it was this late! I'm sorry Tara, I know how you get when you don't get fed."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean. You get incredibly grumpy and glare at anyone who dares to talk to you."

"I am not that bad." She gave me one of her signature looks before standing up. "Let's go to dinner before you start eating the furniture."

I rolled my eyes as I followed her. "Now that is an exaggeration."

Dinner was loud, again. My entire family was there, along with Lothíriel's, and any time both our families get together usually results in some friendly competition. Who can tell the best stories, who can eat their pie the fastest, really it doesn't matter what we were doing, someone always managed to turn it into a competition. Tonight, it was who had the best courting disaster story (I am still not sure how that subject got brought up).

Elphir was in the middle of telling how he had tripped and gotten covered in mud while running away from a hive of bees that he had disturbed when I left. I was tired and simply wanted to relax and enjoy the quiet while it lasted. Soon it would be many late nights and parties to celebrate the new king. Do not get me wrong, I was looking forward to them and the social maneuvers that several of the ladies would perform to attempt to get closer to both of the kings. But I was going to miss my peaceful nights. I read for a few minutes before I changed and took down my hair. I finger combed through the semi-curls that had formed after I had washed it this morning and settled down to bed. I woke up to a lightening sky and hurriedly got ready.

Tomorrow was coronation day and we were taking a rest day then. It was good that I was going to get to practice, because I was jittery with excitement and needed a way to get it out of my system. I put my hair in a side braid and trotted off to meet Strider. My arm was feeling better than it had yesterday, but that would probably change after this session. I took in a deep breath of the brisk morning air and jogged over to get my blood flowing. Once I got moving I would warm up fast, but there was always the inner struggle of getting out of my warm bed to place my feet on the bare floor. I had solved this problem by placing my clothes on a chair right next to my bed so that I could actually change while underneath my blankets. I thought this a brilliant idea and wondered why I had not thought about it before. With some surprise I noticed that I was actually here before him; that had never happened before. With a shrug I drew my sword and began to warm up. I had barely started when he seemed to materialize before my eyes.

"I apologize for my lateness, there were some things that I needed to attend to."

"It's fine."

We began, but there seemed to be something a little…off about him. I abruptly stopped thinking about it and focused instead on the actual spar when I received a hit to my left side that I was not able to block completely. It hurt. A lot. With some consolation I thought that I would at least get an interesting looking bruise out of it. Still, I did not want to take another hit like that and refocused my energies on not "dying". I was somewhat successful and took more care to guard my left side, something that I struggled with since the day I picked up a sword.

Somehow, I started babbling about Lothíriel and Éomer and his horse and her getting caught and them arguing. All of it, even my conversation with Lothíriel afterwards. As I continued to speak, I could not believe what was coming out of my mouth. I think it was some sort of attempt to cheer Strider up and before I thought it through it all came tumbling out. That seemed to be the right thing to say as he smiled and there seemed to be a knowing glint in his eyes but he did not say anything. We stopped finally and I noticed for the first time that my arm was not shaking after I sheathed my sword. Proof that I was getting stronger. As I was noticing this small miracle, Strider stepped closer to me. I looked up and realized again just how much taller he was than me.

"Taravel, there is something that I must tell you." He seemed…nervous?

"What is it?"

**A/N So what do you think is going to happen? I am curious to hear your thoughts…**


	8. Chapter 8

"I have not been exactly honest with you, with what my true name is."

"Well I figured Strider was just a name given to you, it doesn't sound like a true name." I was extremely curious to find out what his name was now, and why he was just now choosing to reveal it to me.

"I am Aragorn son of Arathorn, and am called Elessar."

For a split second that name meant nothing to me and then all of the tales that I had been told came rushing back and I knew exactly who he really was. I admit, I am not exactly proud of what I did next but in my defense I was tremendously shocked, and a shocked Tara does not censor her words.

"You are the king! The king! And all this time you listened to me talk about Court and Saeril and Faerel and Éowyn and you just let me! And then I blabbed on about Lothíriel and Éomer and then you've been practicing with me which is not exactly kingly behavior by the way. Oh, I feel like such an idiot for not realizing this sooner. Looking back now there were clues and I just didn't see them and ugh!" While I was thus expressing my opinion I was pacing back and forth, and my hands were waving around in the air before finally going up to cover my face after I spoke the last sentence. I then felt hands gently wrap around my wrists and tug downward.

"Look at me Taravel."

Reluctantly I met his gaze. "Why didn't you tell me?"

He sighed softly before he began. "I was weary of people treating me as the answer to all of their problems and of the expectations placed upon me. When I met you, you obviously did not recognize me and I felt relief. It was why I told you my name was Strider. I knew that if I told you who I truly was you would behave differently, and I did not wish for that. As the days passed I came to know you and was reluctant to tell you the truth. I do not want to lose your friendship Taravel."

My gaze dropped to where he still had his fingers curled around my wrists. This certainly complicated things. Of course I had to develop feelings for the king of Gondor! And he simply considered me a friend. It is not like I was expecting anything more, but now? Well now I was well and truly doomed.

I nodded once and slowly brought my eyes back up to meet his. "What should I call you?" I asked quietly.

"Elessar, for that is what I am to be known as."

"Elessar," I repeated, trying the name out. "That will take some getting used to."

"Yes." He said simply as he released my wrists.

"I guess I will see you tomorrow then."

"Until tomorrow." He smiled at me and then left.

I stood there, still attempting to process what had happened and exactly how many unspoken social rules I had broken. I groaned and wandered the garden for several minutes to put my thoughts back together. As I was wandering I came across someone that I did not expect to see, at all. Lady Faerel was standing near the wall of the garden, looking out at the fields with crossed arms. The rising sun caught her golden hair, causing it to glisten, courtesy of her Rohirric grandmother. I thought that I was being quiet but apparently I was not. She turned to face me and there was a hardness and bitterness in her face that I had not seen before. Her eyes swept over my outfit once before returning to my face.

"Lady Taravel."

"Lady Faerel." I replied. She gave me one sharp nod before turning back around. Clearly I was dismissed.

I left feeling exceedingly puzzled over our interaction. I put it out of my mind as I went to wake Lothi up, we had much to discuss.

"He is who?!" She hissed.

"The king," I repeated in a low voice. We were currently at an impromptu combined family brunch and were trying to not be overheard.

"I did not see that one coming. How did you react?"

"You know me, my first reaction is not always my best one."

"Taravel. What. Did. You. Say?"

"Something to the effect of 'why did you lie to me? I feel like an idiot because you let me talk about court and Éomer and Éowyn when you know perfectly well who they are.' Something like that."

"Well that's not so bad."

"You'll never guess who I ran into at the gardens." I said at a more normal volume.

"Well who?"

"Lady Faerel."

"Really, what was she doing there?"

"I have no idea but she seemed different. She looked harder, if that makes sense."

"That does." She was quiet for a moment as she searched for a reason why Faerel was acting that way. Her face took on a look of sudden realization as she came upon the piece of information she was looking for. "Her two brothers went with Faramir to retake Osgilith. They didn't return." she said softly.

I nodded my understanding and returned to paying attention to what was going on around me. Lack of attention had gotten me into trouble before, when I had agreed without knowing to showing a few lords and ladies around the family estate. I really did not want another repeat of that incident. I like my alone time. I like having time to read and time to paint. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy being around people, but sometimes I just reach my limit when dealing with certain people and I have to remove myself from the situation before I say something that I would regret.

Eventually the brunch ended and I went to my rooms to retrieve my painting things. I was currently working on a painting for Lothíriel's birthday: a mythical siren at her request. I had banned her from looking at my initial sketches and the eventual painting that had followed it. I had not worked on it for several weeks; with Osgilith and then Pelennor I had not had much time to work on it. I put on my oldest dress, the one that I had cut off the sleeves at the elbow and wound my hair tightly at the top of my head. I opened up the windows and then I really got to work.

I had gone with a realistic appearance, just more haunting. Today my focus was on the face. I wanted to get the lighting and shadowing just right so that it appeared that she was glowing from within. Her face was turned to the front but her body was sideways with her black hair billowing out behind her as she was suspended in the water. I had made her eyes silver and her blue dress sleeveless with it stopping just above the knee in slits to allow for freedom of movement. I was not quite comfortable with painting the siren nude with hair falling in strategic places like the current style when depicting creatures of the sea.

After a few hours of this, I happened to look out one of the windows and realize what time it was. With a muffled exclamation, I hurriedly put away my paints but left the painting itself out to dry completely. I changed back into the dress I was wearing earlier and redid my hair and checked my hands and arms for paint flecks. I peeled a few off my hands before I excited my rooms. I was to meet Barech and Lady Saelris and act as a kind of chaperone. This practice was supposed to discourage courting couples from engaging in premarital activities. How well it worked I could not say. But honestly, if a couple really wished to not much was going to stop them. Personally, I did not believe in doing such things before marriage but my philosophy was to stay out of such matters. Ultimately it was their decision, not mine. I arrived somewhat out of breath by the gate that led to the lower levels of the city.

"Tara." My brother sighed as he stepped forward and peeled off a streak of paint that I had missed.

I smiled up at him in thanks and we set off. I hung back to give them some privacy as I took in the scenery. The repairs to the city were well underway and there was a lightness that had been missing from the previous months. No longer did the people of Gondor have to live in the shadow of Mount Doom. There was already a celebratory air about the people as they prepared for coronation day. It had been a long time since we had anything to celebrate. Thoughts of the approaching coronation turned my mind back to Stri—Elessar, and I wondered again how I had missed all the signs that were obvious to me now. Now being the key word, I suppose. It is easy to look back and wonder why you could not see it before. When you are right in the middle of it the truth is not always easy to see.

I caught snatches of their conversation as it floated back to me and was able to piece together what they were talking about. It appeared that they were comparing stories of childhood adventures— or misadventures depending on how you looked at it. Their laughter was the next thing I heard. It appeared to be going well for my brother, and I was happy for him. We were not the closest of siblings, but I knew that if I needed help he would stop what he was doing and come help me in a heartbeat.

He stopped at a food vendor and handed me a fruit filled pastry without a word and we continued on our way, with me happily munching on my snack in the background. I analyzed the body language of Lady Saelris to truly judge whether or not she was enjoying herself. It is amazing how much you can tell from the way a person carries themselves. Her arm was linked with Barech's and her body was slightly angled towards him as they walked. I smiled, satisfied. She appeared to be genuine.

He did not seem to have a particular destination in mind and was content to wander the streets at leisure. I started humming a tune that I had heard a violinist play a few streets back and was absentmindedly letting my attention wander from one person to the next, and the different shops that we passed on our way.

We turned back sometime after that and I pretended my attention was elsewhere as they said their goodbyes. He kissed the back of her hand as was proper before they parted ways. I was hungry for some real food and headed straight to the kitchens. The cooks knew me well enough by now that they simply handed me a plate of food and I sat down at a table out of the way. I tried to eat every few hours, otherwise, like Lothíriel had so graciously pointed out the other day, I get grumpy and snappy with others. I was always aware that what I was saying was rude, I simply did not care. Those close to me had learned to not take anything I say to heart when I was hungry. I apologized later of course. I am not one to hold on to anger; it is too much hard work and frankly, exhausting.

After I finished my food, I carried my plate and eating utensils to the sink so that they could be washed. That done, I walked to the library to resume reading my book about the War of the Last Alliance. I was at the point where King Oropher of Greenwood called for an early charge, which led to his death and the deaths of the majority of his army. I winced in sympathy for them, though they were long dead and continued to read.

**A/N The big revelation. What did you think? I really do want to know your opinions, next update should be Tuesday.**


	9. Chapter 9

The day of the coronation was upon us. Some were handling it better than others, and I sat there bored, as Lothíriel agonized over her hair and the way her dress had to fall just so. Normally, she was not one to fuss over her appearance. But this was no normal day. As I continued to watch her flutter around her dressing chamber in only her shift, my boredom lessened. I had hardly ever seen her so flustered before. Soon I was snickering quietly to myself in my corner.

"What are you laughing about?"

"What's got you so ruffled?" I retorted. "Could it be because Éomer will be there?"

"Yes!"

My laughter abruptly cut off.

"But not for the reason you think. I am going to show him that I can be a proper dignified lady. Which he insinuated that I could not be."

"So the Princess of Dol Amroth is going to make an appearance hmm? You must truly detest him if you are going to expose him to that persona."

She tossed her head to the side in defiance. "It has served me well in the past of getting rid of suitors that I do not like."

"Suitor? Since when is he a suitor? I thought he didn't like you?"

"My father spoke to me last night. He said that it would be favorable for both Gondor and Rohan for an alliance born of marriage to take place. I am the most suitable candidate for that alliance. My father also said that he had not and will not agree to anything without my consent. He then proceeded to tell me that he still has hopes that I could become the Queen of Gondor, despite the king not expressing any interest in me. Which I will not do because I know how you feel Tara." She took a breath to compose herself before she spoke again. "I am the highest ranking Gondorian Lady of marriageable age. My father expects me to marry soon and to marry well. That is also why the horse lord reacted negatively to my name. His advisers are already pushing him to marry and produce an heir. Apparently my name was brought up quite a bit."

"Lothi." I sighed as I stood up to give her a hug.

"I expected this, I am almost twenty Taravel." Her lips quirked up into a smile as I released her. "Come, let's think no more of such things. Are we up for our usual game?"

"Of course. Saeril and Faerel will get into a verbal fight at least once. Some Lady will faint, and I predict there will be many maneuvers to get into the king's good graces. At least one drunk lord will proposition me, thinking that I want to move to a higher rank and will not mind any way it happens. And you will be treated like glass by all the lords that meet you in hopes of securing your hand. Anything else you would like to add to the table?"

"Your brother and his lady will sneak out for some privacy while everyone else is occupied with the King and getting drunk. At least one fist fight," she concluded.

"First one to a hundred points?"

"May the best Lady win." She shook my hand solemnly.

Rian burst through the door, carrying both of our dresses. "We are behind schedule! We must hurry." Another girl appeared behind her, peeking around Rian's shoulder shyly. "This is Areth, she will be helping me today." Areth kept her eyes lowered and reminded me of a frightened bunny. I said nothing and simply went with Rian's statement.

Areth was the one who helped me. She gently eased the gown over my head and then made sure that it fell perfectly before she seemed satisfied. My hair came next. She took it out of the simple braid I had had it in and appeared to examine my hair, noting the texture and the length of it. My hair is long, falling halfway between my waist and hips, and it is thick. Sometimes I loved my hair and other times I wanted to chop it all off.

"You have beautiful hair my Lady."

"Thank you." I did not turn my head to look at her because Areth had instructed me to remain absolutely still. It felt like she was braiding a section of my hair, but the way it was being tugged felt different from a normal braid. Soon, she was done with that part and gathered the rest of my hair into a bun, securing it with pins as she went. Then she took the braided section of my hair and wrapped it around the crown of my head once, tucking the end back into the bun. She fussed over it for a few more minutes before she seemed satisfied. I sat as instructed, still the entire time.

She then got out face paints and brushes, and began to 'do' my face. It did not take her very long. Rian knew that I only liked a lightly done face, just enough to enhance my features and not overpower them and must have told Areth. I was actually pretty good at this myself, but let Areth do it since it was her job. Finally, I was allowed to look at myself in the mirror. I was right; it was a different type of braid than normal. It seemed to angle in on both sides, the braid beginning behind my right ear and wrapping itself over the crown of my head before tucking in to the bun behind my other ear. My dress was beautiful and fit perfectly, and I was pleased. My right hand opened slowly to reveal the crescent moon necklace that my mother had pressed into my hand this morning. With ease I fastened it around my neck. I was ready.

Lothíriel stepped up beside me to look at herself, she seemed pleased. Her dress was a dove gray that fell into the more traditional category. Lace peeked out at the neckline and the edges of her trailing sleeves, considerably longer than she normally wore. Her dress was slashed in front to reveal a beautifully embroidered sky blue skirt. She wore a silver circlet upon her head, signaling her status as princess of Dol Amroth. Her hair itself was intricately braided into a spiral bun with her eyes and lips well defined. She looked every inch the imposing Gondorian princess she wished to portray. She nodded once at the mirror in satisfaction before turning on her heel so that she could go meet with her family. I attempted to also leave but was stopped by Rian.

"There is something that I want to speak to you about. Areth needs employment. Her mother is sick and she has three younger sisters that she needs to support. She was Lady Saeril's maid before she was dismissed."

"How long?"

"She lasted seven months."

"That is impressive, the average is three months." My voice lowered almost automatically. "Is that why she seems so timid?"

"I would assume so. She is a sweet girl and eager to please, but seven months in the employment of Lady Saeril takes its toll on anyone."

"I'll speak to my father tonight, but I can't make any promises," I warned.

Rian's smile grew. "You won't regret this!"

I waved my hand in her general direction as I exited. It was time for the coronation; the day that we had been waiting for weeks. I was to meet my family and then we were all going together. Because of our close relationship with Prince Imrahil's family, we were going to be closer to the front than a family of our rank normally was. I was looking forward to actually being able to see what was going on. I am by no means short, being only slightly under the average height of a female my age but all the men here are tall with few exceptions.

I spotted my mother in her blue dress and quickly walked her way. She smiled at me but it was too loud for us to speak. The rest of my family appeared and together we made our way to where we were to stand. I fidgeted in place as I waited, bored. I had spotted Éowyn and Faramir earlier and had waved. I noticed that Éowyn was in white again, but she looked so happy that I told myself to let it go. My crusade to get her to wear other colors could wait a day.

There was a sudden hush and I immediately looked up at the steps to see Elessar in armor and another person dressed in all white carrying a staff. I deduced that this person was Gandalf, the white wizard formally called Gandalf the Gray. I had spent enough days curled up at the library to know the tales of the Maiar, not just of Gandalf but of the others as well. The fate of the blue wizards had always fascinated me, but I supposed that I would never really know what happened to them. As the coronation began, I focused on that instead of my unanswered questions about history.

The ceremony itself was simple and short, and as he descended the steps he stopped in front of four short beings. Hobbits, I remembered Éowyn calling them. As they bowed he said something to them. What it was I could not quite make out but as everyone around them began to bow and curtsy, I decided to follow the examples of everybody else. My family apparently thought the same thing as they too bowed and in my mother's case curtsied. As I rose up Elessar gave me a single nod which I returned before spontaneous cheering broke out. The king had returned, after so many years the throne would not be empty. There was to be a short break between the actual crowning of the king part and the dancing part. My mother snagged my arm as we were walking and quietly drew me off to a deserted corner.

"What was that Tara?"

"What was what mother?"

"You know exactly what I mean young lady, do not play coy me with me. The king singled you out. How do you two know each other?"

"I didn't know it was him at first." The words burst from my lips.

My mother looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"I first met him at the stables two weeks ago, I didn't recognize him and then I ran into him later when I was practicing for my spar with Éowyn…" The whole story tumbled out in a rush, and at times my words did not quite make sense but my mother knew me well enough to be able to decipher them. After I was finished speaking she regarded me with a raised eyebrow.

"You have certainly been busy. I won't say anything to your father about this, but eventually you will have to tell him."

I nodded my assent and then she began to walk away but paused and turned back to look at me.

"Oh and Tara? Good luck." Then with a wink she turned away and continued to walk.

Well, now my mother knew. I honestly could not decide whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. I do come by my meddling honestly after all and when my mother puts her mind to something, well, you'd better watch out. I forced these thoughts from my head as I went back to my rooms to find a plate of food already waiting for me and a very shy looking Areth. Oh yes, there was that one small thing that I still needed to take care of.

"Rian said that you get hungry easily my lady, and when I went down to the kitchens they said that these were your favorites."

"Thank you Areth, that will be all." She smiled as she bobbed into a curtsy. "You do know that you are not officially in my employmentand that I have yet to speak to my father?"

"Oh yes, but Rian says that if you managed to convince him to let you learn how to wield a sword that convincing him to let you hire a maid would be no trouble."

I stood there dumbfounded as she left. Rian could be quite devious when there was something that she wanted us to do. Something that I had forgotten. With a shake of my head I dismissed such thoughts and settled down to eat. I was determined to win our game tonight and needed energy for that. Lothíriel would not know what hit her. Sometimes being of lower rank had its advantages, namely being easily overlooked as someone of no consequence had given me access to all the latest gossip and scandal.

The ball was in full swing as I leaned against the wall. I was up to fifty-three points with Lothíriel only at forty-two. I was in the lead but not by much and I was determined to win by a landslide, as they called it. My eyes caught sight of my brother and his lady sneaking out a side entrance. Lothíriel was busy in a dance and did not seem to notice them.

I grinned. "Fifty-eight points!" My voice was perhaps louder than it should have been but no one was near me so I thought it was okay.

"Fifty-eight points?" I immediately ceased leaning against the wall as I recognized the voice. I turned to see Elessar giving me a quizzical look.

"It's a game that Lothíriel and I play at court functions. You get points for any verbal fights that break out, bonus if it turns physical. If you see anyone sneak out early, Lothíriel getting compared to a swan again, how many times you are asked to dance. That sort of thing. First one to a hundred points wins." I said with a shrug. "I'm winning right now," I added proudly.

"I see. Then in the interest of you continuing to win would like to dance?"

"Yes," I said simply. I was glad that I had not consumed much wine and that I was fully in control of my words and my body. Well as in control as I am normally. I had only gotten truly drunk once and had vowed to never again get past the point of slightly tipsy, and even then I usually cut myself off before I reached that point.

My train of thought was derailed as I found myself being held in the normal position for one of the more exuberant dances. One that involved many spins and lifts. The music started and we began. The first lift caught me by surprise even though it should not have. I was lifted with apparent ease into the air. I felt weightless except for the feeling of his hands holding me steady at the waist. The rest of the dance went much the same way as we went too fast to allow for us to actually talk to each other. I was laughing as I was lifted once again into the air. I managed to look down at his face long enough to notice he was smiling before I was set on my feet again and led into another spin. The dance ended with me too dizzy to see straight and I kept a firm grip on his upper arms before my vision returned to normal. I looked up, once again noticing the significant height difference to see that he was still smiling at me. I quickly released him and dipped into the curtsy that signaled the end of the dance. His hands fell from my waist just before I did so. Still smiling I made my way back to where I was before. It was the best position to observe without being too noticeable about it. As I once again leaned against the wall another person appeared.

"Lady Taravel," she said simply.

"Lady Faerel." I answered her.

"Be careful little one. If you are not, the wolves here will eat you alive and spit you back out a completely different person. Someone ugly and disfigured who is exactly like them. Such wounds fester and do not heal easy."

"I do not know what you are talking about."

"Yes, you do. You are too smart to not know. Be careful who you allow to see your heart and where your affections lie." I followed her gaze to find that she was looking at the king. "Be careful." She repeated. "I have played this game many times myself. It is easy to destroy a reputation over something petty and many of the ladies here have their eyes set on being Queen of Gondor." She made a move as to leave before I spoke again.

"Thank you Lady Faerel, for the warning. But I believe that the wounds dealt to you are beginning to heal. You are a different person than when I first met you."

Her lips quirked into a bitter smile. "Perhaps, but I am still a damaged person and have a long way to go to make up for the lives that I have destroyed. Sharing my knowledge of the game is only a small start."

"But the fact that you are trying to make up for your past deeds is testament to the fact that you are trying to change. Not many people are willing to do that. They say that it is too hard and that they are the way they are."

"You have a good heart Lady Taravel. I would hate to see it ruined."

She left after that, and I mused over her words. The transformation that Faerel was undergoing was unexpected to say the least. But it gave me hope that it was indeed possible for a person to change into someone better.

**A/N This was my favorite chapter to write so far, what did you think of Faerel? As always reviews, follows, and favorites are appreciated. Next update should be Tuesday.**

**Borys68: Thank you for taking the time to write a review, I was a little nervous to write that scene and was glad that you liked it.**

**DamonsDarkness: Thanks for the review! I'm glad that you thought her reaction was realistic, that was what I was going for. I would have freaked out too.**


	10. Chapter 10

I woke up with a groan as the early morning light fell across my face. The late nights and early mornings were starting to catch up with me. I sat up in bed as I rubbed my eyes, it had been five days since the Coronation and today was a training day. Yawning, I tied my hair up and out of the way and got dressed. I stumbled out of my bedroom, nabbing the food left out for me. I had told Areth several times that she did not need to get up at the same time as me but she had politely ignored me and continued to have things ready for me before I woke. I shook off such thoughts as I walked over. Elessar was already waiting for me, like always. If I was tired, I could not even imagine how tired he must be with all of his responsibilities as king.

"Taravel." He greeted me quietly.

I smiled in reply as I walked closer. He always seemed more relaxed during our morning training sessions than he did when I saw him at court functions. Which was understandable. I would be tense too if I had the likes of Saeril actively pursuing me, not to mention the other ladies of the court. And of course you had the other lords and their political maneuverings in the attempt to get in his good graces.

"Let me see your right wrist," he ordered.

With some confusion I held it out to him. He pushed my sleeve up to see it better and gently examined the skin of my wrist, applying pressure on various parts and looking at me to judge my reaction. When I involuntarily let out a little hiss of pain he looked back down at my wrist.

"Have you been practicing archery as well?"

"Yes. On the days we don't practice."

"And has your wrist been hurting you?"

"A little yes, but nothing major."

"You strained it." He said with some disapproval. "It is not used to the amount of physical activity that you have been forcing it to do. You need to rest your wrist for at least three days so that it has a chance to catch up to your increased activity level. We will not be practicing today." He tugged my sleeve back down and released my wrist. I let it fall back to my side.

"How did you even know that it has been bothering me?"

"Usually you keep your drink in your right hand while talking. Yesterday you started to hold it with that hand and then switched to your left. You continued to avoid using your right hand whenever possible for the rest of the night."

My eyebrows were currently at my hairline when he finished his explanation. "That was observant of you."

He made no reply to that statement, instead looking at me with level eyes.

"Alright," I huffed. "I promise to refrain from practicing archery and the sword for the next three days."

"Good," he said simply. He paused before speaking again. "There is something else that I want to talk to you about."

I tilted my head to the side in question.

"It is about Harad. Prince Imrahil said that you would be the best person to talk to."

"Yes?"

"What is the situation there right now with the Confederacy?"

"Well, Laili sent me a letter almost a fortnight ago. There are now eleven tribes in the Confederacy and they have also signed treaties of nonaggression with bordering tribes. They believe that war is coming in Harad before the end of the year and there have already been several skirmishes. Laili says her father is considering sending her as an Ambassador, and if she does come it will be near the end of summer."

There was no change in his expression as he absorbed this information. "Why send her so late if war is imminent?"

"Because they want to get more of an idea of your character before they arrive. They do not trust those of the West so easily."

"I remember." He sighed.

"You…remember?"

"I traveled there for a short time some years ago."

"Really? What's it like there? Well I know that it is mostly sand dunes with the occasional oasis, but what is it like?"

"It is different than any other land that I have traveled. The stars, the people, the customs." He gave an easy shrug. "It is a hard life that they live."

"Ah, I'm sorry I got us off subject."

"It is no matter. Did she give you any more specifics?"

"No, but if you want information like that your best bet is to talk to her spies. She doesn't tell me information like that, just in case her letters get intercepted and read."

"I don't just need that kind of information. I want to know things that you can't get from a report."

"Like what?"

"The overall feeling towards Gondor, political maneuverings, things like that. I was not aware that they were considering sending an Ambassador until you told me. You are friends with the tribal chief's daughter; you have a unique perspective that no report can give me."

"There is not much that I can tell you that you don't already know. The overall mood is wary watchfulness, as it has been for some time. They do not take easy to those they perceive as outsiders."

He was staring intently at me as I spoke. "I should go now, if there aren't any other questions that you want to ask?"

"No, that is all."

I made to turn away but was stopped by a rather firm grip on my shoulders, forcing me to face him and by extension look him in the eye.

"I mean it Taravel. No practicing for the next three days."

"I already promised that I wouldn't." I was amused at his insistence and slightly offended that he doubted my word.

"And be careful how you use your hand as well."

"I got it, I'll be careful. No climbing up on rooftops for a while."

That seemed to throw him for a loop momentarily before his expression went back to forceful determination. "You climb up on rooftops?"

"Occasionally, but only when someone needs cheering up. Can I go now?"

"Of course." He released my shoulders and took a step back. "You should use this time to get some sleep, you look tired."

I decided not to comment on that last statement. I would not be going back to bed. Once I am awake I am awake and cannot go back to sleep, and naps make me groggy. Now back in my rooms I changed into the dress I had designated for painting. I had quite some time before I was to meet Éowyn for lunch. The only thing that she had said about it was that she wanted to introduce me to someone. No matter how much I pried she refused to say anything else on the subject.

Holding a paintbrush did not hurt, as it was much lighter than a bow or a sword. I spent several hours working on the violet markings that covered the exposed skin of the siren. They were completely stylistic and had no grounding in the commonly accepted mythology, but it was fun to reimagine a siren, and since they were not real I was not offending anyone. Areth wandered in when I was doing some very delicate work near the corner of the eye. I was aware of her presence but did not acknowledge it for some minutes until I was finished. I put down the exceptionally thin paintbrush that I was using and turned to look at her.

"You told me to come at this time to help you get ready, Milady."

"So I did." I turned and walked over to the washbasin that I had and scrubbed the paint off my hands. "I was thinking of wearing the green dress, the one with the gold flecks in it."

"I will retrieve it." She slipped out of the room, but not before giving me a respectful curtsy.

I carefully positioned the painting so it would be out of the way of a direct sunbeam and left it to dry. I stepped into my bedroom and took off my dress and was in the process of taking off my corset that I had specially made for sword training. My others restricted my movement too much. Surprisingly, I had no problem wearing a normal corset when I practiced archery. Areth was part scandalized, part intrigued when she had first found out about my specified corset. But she had accepted it and moved on.

I stood in only a chemise and my feet were bare, but it was not as much of a problem now that the sun had been up for several hours. The stone floor was warmer than it was in the mornings. Areth came back with a corset and the dress that I had requested. I was soon dressed and she began to braid my hair before she wrapped it up in a bun and carefully pinned it. I was hurriedly moving out the door as soon as she was done, I did not want to be late.

Almost out of breath I collapsed on the only open chair at the table. It was only once I was seated that I realized that a hobbit was sitting right next to me. I looked from the hobbit to Éowyn and then back again.

"Well Éowyn, aren't you going to introduce us?"

"Tara, this is Merry, Merry this is Tara."

"Hello," I said dryly to Merry. He returned my greetings before I looked back at Éowyn. "So this is the mystery guest. Well Merry, I hope you have an appetite because this place is known for their extremely large portions."

"I know," Éowyn muttered. "That is why I picked it."

"I'm a hobbit, we are known for our appetites." He said in explanation of Éowyn's comment.

"We shall see, I have yet to meet anyone who successfully finished the entire meal themselves. Speaking of which, would you like to split Éowyn?"

She agreed, we ordered and then we found ourselves listening to the goings on of a hobbit named Bilbo's 111th birthday party. By the time the food arrived I was laughing so hard that tears were forming. When I finally did manage to get myself under control I was laughing again as Merry continued to regale us with tales of the Shire. I did manage to actually eat in between bouts of laughter.

"You must miss it."

"We all do. We are going back soon." Then he said in a sly tone. "And Sam misses Rosie."

"Oh, is she his sweetheart?"

"No, but Sam would certainly like her to be."

To my utter amazement he did finish the entirety of his meal, this while constantly telling us stories. I am not sure how he managed it. We stayed and talked for a while longer before Merry said that he had to meet the other hobbits. That left me and Éowyn still sitting there.

"I am surprised that you did not ask about his part in slaying the Witch-King."

I shrugged. "I figured that if he wanted to talk about it he would. I am not going to force the issue. The war in some ways is still too near to speak of things like that."

"Is that why you did not ask me about my part in the battle?"

"Yes, that and I prefer the outlandish version of the story where you took down a whole legion of Nazgul single handedly."

She rolled her eyes and playfully shoved my shoulder.

"Where is Lothíriel? I have not seen much of her these past two days."

"That is because she just started her cycle today. She gets incredibly grumpy right before and makes an effort to avoid people whenever possible. Probably means that I'll get my cycle soon too."

She stared at me with wide eyes for a moment. "Sometimes you are more blunt that a Marshal of the Mark."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Not entirely, but why are you so open about those things?"

"It is a natural normal part of being a female and nothing to be ashamed of. It is not like I go about announcing it to the world but I am not as discrete about it as others are." I admitted.

"How very like you Tara."

**A/N This was more of a transitional chapter before things start to pick up. As always, thank you to my reviewers and those that have followed/favorited this story. I love to hear from you guys! Next update will either be this next Tuesday or Friday depending on how editing goes…**


	11. Chapter 11

I had indeed started my cycle a few days previous. I was sitting on a blanket in the shade of a tree and was watching the spectacle that is court life. It was a small intimate outing designed to foster good relations with the new kings, planned by Lady Broniel and her husband. They were quite powerful at court with many allies related by marriage or blood to half of the nobility of Gondor. Lothíriel had been invited, and the nobility had learned long ago that she would not come to any kind of social event to which I was not invited. Which was why I was here, sitting on a blanket under a tree.

It had been decided that we would go on horseback here before having a picnic. I was quietly being miserable over by my tree while Lothíriel flittered among the crowd, going from person to person. She had a real gift with people, when she was not being the ice princess of Dol Amroth, that is. As I was cataloging my various bruises and scrapes from my training session this morning, I noticed a presence hovering behind my right shoulder. I turned to see who it was and was surprised to find Éomer standing behind me. Startled, I got to my feet with some dignity to greet him, wondering what he could possibly want.

"Éomer King," I said as I dipped into a curtsy.

"Lady Taravel, you are closewith Lady Lothíriel." It was not really a question but I answered it anyway.

"Yes."

"Perhaps you could help me then."

"Maybe."

There was silence as he seemed to be staring off into the distance. "It would help me to know what the problem is." I prompted.

"Her behavior is at best erratic, I cannot understand her. Just when I think I do she does something that forces me to reconsider."

"And your question?"

"Who is she, really? Is it the woman who took my horse from the stables without my permission, or the Lady who was polite but made every statement sound like an insult?" He was pacing now but stopped and looked at me expectantly.

I blinked once before I began to speak. "Lothíriel is both. At her core she is the woman that you first met but you challenged her, claiming that she was not really a Lady. She wanted to prove you wrong, which was why when you next met her she acted so different. How you behave towards her is a good indication of which side you will get."

"I see."

He went quiet again as I linked my hands together behind my back. "Forgive me for prying, but is there any particular reason you are speaking to me about Lothíriel and not to her?"

His gaze snapped back to mine and it seemed as if a door had slammed shut.

"No reason at all. Good day Lady Taravel."

"Good day," I repeated faintly as he seemed to have already been out of earshot.

With a grumble I settled back down on my blanket and resumed people watching. Just as I had arranged my skirts to my satisfaction I was interrupted, rather rudely I might add by my brother Thelion. I was scooped up into the air and all of my protesting and swatting at his hands was ineffectual. He only laughed. Yes, _laughed_. I refused to give up and continued to struggle. Then I saw where it was he was taking me and my struggling became much more violent and my voice got louder.

"Thelion! If you dare throw me into the river you will regret it for the rest of your miserable life!" This did not have any effect on him so I tried a new tactic. It was a tried and true method, though inherently childish I admit. I threatened to tell mother.

This got the desired result. (Sort of) Instead of throwing me in the nearby river, I was dropped rather suddenly on the grassy riverbank. The extremely wet riverbank. I jumped up immediately but the damage was already done. I stared down at the hip I had landed on to see a large grass stain. I crossed my arms and faced my brother, furious with him.

"Look what you did to my dress!"

"I do not see why you are so upset, you never cared before."

"It is one thing to play around when it is just our family but some of the most influential people in Gondor and Rohan are here. This is not the time!"

"I'm sorry."

"No you're not," I huffed. "You just don't want me to stay mad at you."

"Look, if I had known that you would be this upset about it I would not have done it. I used to do it all the time at Dol Amroth."

"Just don't do it when we are around other people."

"So I have your permission when we are back at Dol Amroth?"

"That is not what I meant and you know it," I called after him as he walked away, grinning.

Too lazy to walk back and rejoin the group, I stayed by the river. Then I became bored and wandered up and down the river bank, occasionally stopping to pick a flower. I had not made a flower crown in ages and was wondering if I still remembered how. Once I had gathered the desired amount of flowers, I started to weave them together. I was surprised that I had actually remembered, and was pleased with the result. I held it loosely in my hands as I turned to go back the way I had come. I then discovered that I was not alone.

"Tara? Thelion sent me to look for you."

I rolled my eyes. "Not likely Maenor but thank you for looking." He smiled good-naturedly as he offered me his arm to escort me back. Maenor was one of my brother's friends that he had met during the war. We did not see each other often but always got along well.

We were soon both laughing as we took turns telling stories of my brother's mishaps. Thelion had a knack for finding trouble even in the tamest of situations, so we both had plenty of stories to share. My flower crown started to slip off my head and without pausing in his story, Maenor righted it for me. He had placed it on my head as a sort of joke and I had not bothered to remove it. It was only when Lothíriel popped in to my line of vision not even a second later that I realized we were back with the group. Maenor relinquished his hold on me once we back with the group, easily taking notice of the fact that Lothíriel wanted to talk to me, urgently.

"Tara, thank goodness you are back! I had a really strange conversation with the horse lord."

"And what was so strange about it?"

"He was nice! He is never nice to me. Not in any encounter that we have ever had before. At least, not since we first met before he learned my name."

"And him being nice to you is bad because…?"

"I never said it was bad; I just said it was strange. I mean, I have always known exactly what to expect from him before. He is polite enough but he could never hide the faint look of disgust whenever we speak."

I still did not see why she was so flustered over this and told her so.

"Because it upsets the natural order of things!" She hissed. "Now that he is being nice I have to be nice back."

"Well you don't have to be nice back if you don't want to."

"But I have to be. When someone is nice to you, you are nice to them. That is how the world works."

"No, Lothi, that is not how the world works. There are a lot of people who are rude to those that are nice to them."

"Really? All people aren't like me?"

She said with such seriousness that I just about lost it, but managed to keep my giggling to myself at Lothíriel's flabbergasted look.

"People have to be nice to you because of who you are. It would be social and political suicide to do otherwise when you are nice to them."

"It is still strange. What do I do?"

"You have three options at this point. You could keep speaking to him like you have, you could actually be nice back to him, or you could ignore him."

"You are not being helpful."

"What? You asked me what to do and I gave you options. What exactly were you expecting me to say?"

"Something more helpful than that."

"Well I'm sorry that you don't like my advice, but it is all I have."

The next few days followed a similar pattern. Training every other morning with Elessar, archery on the other days with one rest day and lots and lots of social events. It was then that I started to notice something odd. I would actually enjoy talking and dancing with a lord and then a day or so later they would take one look at me and walk the other way. The only one seemingly unaffected by this phenomenon was Maenor. When I asked him if he knew what was going on he had only said that "I would figure it out." I began to get more and more frustrated as I continued to not have any answers.

At least Lothíriel and Éomer were speaking much more civilly to each other now days. Their conversations were not nearly as awkward or entertaining as they used to be. Still, I had my pick of awkward, entertaining conversations at balls. I could easily pick out which ladies were actively seeking a husband and which ones were not but were forced to go through the motions by their parents. Of course this worked both ways and the lords were usually far more entertaining when they were being pushed by their parents to find a wife.

I had just finished a dance with Lord Aegnor when Elessar was suddenly there. It had become a tradition of ours to share at least one dance together, but the particular dance varied. This dance happened to be a slower one, and as we danced there was silence between us, something that was a rarity. I decided that he would have to be the one to initiate the conversation for once, and I was content to dance without saying a single word. Apparently he was comfortable with this as well as he did not say anything either. The dance was over sooner than I thought. I curtsied as expected and he bowed as expected. Then with only a 'Taravel' he was gone.

I retired for bed soon after that, utterly confused by Elessar's behavior, annoyed by Maenor's cryptic statement, curious to see where this new 'being nice' thing would take Lothíriel and Éomer, and worried for Laili. Frankly, it was exhausting and I decided to skip my usual archery session tomorrow in order to catch up on some sleep.

Morning found me penning a letter to Laili, it helps me to get all my thoughts out on paper. For practice, I decided to write the letter completely in the language of Harad.

_Dear Laili,_

_Things have been interesting around here since the coronation. Éomer and Lothi are actually being nice to each other and are slowly learning more about the other. I honestly can't decide if that is a good thing or a bad thing. You know that her father would like the two to marry and I am not too sure about their compatibility. Lothi has not said if her feelings towards him are romantic or not, but she does no longer says negative things about him which is a step in that direction, I suppose. Éowyn is busy with wedding preparations, and I have not seen her very often._

_My brothers are there usual selves, nothing seems to keep them down for long. My parents went back home yesterday but before my mother left she made me promise a strange thing. She had me promise to always have my bow with me if I ever left the city without Lothi. I promised her, but only because she insisted, and of course now that I promised her I have to keep it._

_Has your father talked any more of sending you as an ambassador to Gondor? I am anxious to actually practice speaking your language out loud with a native speaker, and I would __like to see you again, we both would. And Gondor needs all the allies that it can get right now, if the situation in Near Harad is as dangerous as you say._

_Looking forward to hearing from you,_

_Tara_

**A/N Well, what did you think? I do want to hear from you! Thank you to those who have reviewed this story and to the ones who have followed/Favorited it. **


	12. Chapter 12

I was staring at one of the scrolls I had unearthed out of the library's archives. It was dusty and the ink was faded in places, making it hard to read, but that was not the real reason that I was having trouble reading it. As the days went on I found my thoughts more and more occupied by the increasingly strange behavior of the males around me. Well, not all of them. Mine and Lothíriel's brothers were the same as ever. But the others? Well that was a different story. The previous males who were known for their somewhat lecherous behavior and proposals (especially towards me) paled when they saw me and hurriedly went in the opposite direction, when usually it was the other way around. Now while I was certainly not complaining about this abrupt shift in behavior, it was still strange.

What I really needed was to talk to someone out loud about all of this. Éowyn was out, she was knee deep in wedding planning and helping her brother with certain matters that she refused to discuss with me no matter how much I pried. Of course, I was not bothered by this at all. Humph. Lothíriel was extremely preoccupied and twitchy these days because of the behavior of a certain horse lord from Rohan. I found it highly amusing that she refused to actually call him by his name. He was always "The Horse Lord" or "The Other King" though Horse Lord seemed to be her favorite, and she said it so much that I had adopted the same phrase. I had to make a conscious effort to actually say his name these days.

My point being, she was not in the best frame of mind to discuss strange behavior of males when she was so confused by the behavior of one and was likely to go off on another rant that I really did not want to hear again. Laili was too far away and I did not want to put any of this in a letter anyway. That left me with only one conceivable option. As the name drifted lazily through my mind I let my head fall forward with a thump to rest on the scroll that I was no longer trying to read. I was truly, unbelievably, desperate if I was going to her for answers. A muffled groan escaped my lips as the name continued to float through my mind, refusing to leave. I raised myself up from where I was slumped on the desk and rolled up the scroll so I could read it later, placing it in a satchel I carried with me for this purpose.

I was purposely seeking out Faerel, instead of her usually finding me. I half expected her to pop up; she had an uncanny ability to appear around the corner whenever her name came up in conversation or thought. I rounded the corner to find that alas, she was not there. I would actually have to search for her. With that resolve, I immediately took off for a specific nook in the gardens near the Houses of Healing where she usually spent her mornings.

She had admitted to me that there she could find peace and almost pretend that the war had never happened. While I could empathize with her, I had been lucky enough that none of my family had died in the war. Many had not been so lucky. I readjusted my satchel and contemplated whether or not is was worth trying to roll up my sleeves. It was quite warm, and I had been told that it would get steadily hotter until the heat became unbearable. That also meant transitioning into lighter dresses with shorter sleeves, something that I was excited about. Changing in and out of so many layers was an arduous project that I did not enjoy.

I pushed up the sleeves of my light green dress as I trekked up the streets and silently cursed whoever had decided that women had to wear so many layers of clothing. When I reached my destination I paused and took a minute to catch my breath before continuing on deeper into the garden. I was glad that I had decided to have my hair up today instead of in a simple braid, because it was already hot. To my delight, Faerel was in her usual spot, looking out on the horizon. I approached her and as expected she turned to face me.

"What brings you here Taravel?"

"I need to work through a couple of things, and I do it best when I talk out loud to somebody about my problem."

"And Lothíriel was not available for this?"

"She does not exactly have experience with my particular problem."

"And I do?"

"I am pretty sure that you have had similar experiences."

"What exactly is your problem that you need to talk out loud about?"

"Well for this past week or so I have noticed a change in the behavior around me, specifically the males' behavior."

"A change how?" Her lips had twitched upwards into a smile at my earlier statement.

I then detailed to her how they seemed to be avoiding me and the only ones not affected by it where mine and Lothíriel's brothers, and my brother's friend Maenor and his cryptic statements.

"And I know that it is not my brothers who are scaring them off and it is not any of Lothíriel's brothers either. So who is doing this? I mean there are not that many options," I muttered.

"Perhaps it has something to do with your most frequent dance partner," she suggested.

I frowned, trying to think who she meant before it dawned on me. "The king? What does he have to do with it?"

"He makes a consistent effort to seek you out at every court function. He has been watching you Taravel. He notices when you are uncomfortable with somebody or a situation. Haven't you noticed that the lords who used to make advances towards you will no longer come anywhere near you if they can help it?"

"Well yes, but what about those who I actually liked spending time with who were nice?"

"He cares for you, he notices you, and you are at the age where others are starting to notice you as well. Some lords are considering you for marriage to their sons. While it is true you are not of the highest rank, your friendship with Lothíriel is valuable social currency."

"Even if all of this is true, I should be the one to make the decision about who I spend time with, not him."

"I would have thought that you would be flattered that he cared enough about you to scare those away whose intentions are less than honorable."

"While I appreciate the sentiment behind the action, if he is doing it and if he is doing it for the reason that you think he is, the decision of who I talk and dance with should be mine, not his. He has no claim on me and as such does not have the right to make those decisions for me."

I was angry now, and my arms were folded tight across my chest.

"But he is the King and not many are willing to anger our new King."

I said nothing.

"Watch him tonight, see what he does and how he does it and then come to your own decision about how best to precede."

"I will."

"Good, just try to be unobtrusive"

"That will be easy, I'm good at blending in."

"Not as easy as you think because the one that you wish to watch is almost always watching you. Of course, he is better at hiding it. If I hadn't had so many years of experience in the Game, I would have missed it."

I blinked opened my mouth to reply and then closed it, shaking my head a little before I began again. "Thank you Faerel, for listening and attempting to provide answers, unlike some people I could name."

"You are welcome Taravel." She turned back to watching the horizon with an unreadable expression and I quietly turned around and went back to my rooms.

I was ready; I was prepared. I was determined to figure out once and for all the reason for the males' behavior. I had even given up playing my usual game with Lothíriel in favor of paying more attention. I had just finished dancing with some Lord's son (and now that I thought about it there had been quite a few of those lately) and had managed to tuck myself into a shadowy corner that had a good vantage point. At first nothing seemed to happen, the Lord's son went and talked to a few other people and then snagged a glass of wine from a servant and was alone for a brief moment. That is when I noticed Elessar, suddenly there beside him. They had a brief conversation and then Elessar left. The lord's son (I had forgotten his name as soon as he had told it to me) looked unsettled and I was not sure why. Well there was one piece of evidence to support Faerel's theory.

I danced again with Lord Aegnor; he was one of those who did not want to get married at all and was putting up a half-hearted effort in looking for a wife to appease his mother. We had come to a mutual understanding that neither of us was looking for a spouse or a private arrangement and thus could talk and dance without fear of coming across the wrong way. We actually had intellectually stimulating conversations and made each other laugh. We were each other's safe zones and kept an eye out for the other whenever we wanted rescuing from certain unnamed persons. We parted ways and I took a roundabout way back to my corner. Nothing happened. Elessar did not appear out of thin air like he normally did and I leaned further against the wall, slightly confused.

The two instances repeated themselves again but with different people. And then again. Finally I came to a rather abrupt conclusion while I was dancing with Elessar, in another of the slower dances. He only seemed to scare off those who were actually interested in making me their wife or their mistress. The ones where our relationship was purely platonic he did nothing about. It appeared that Faerel was right- he was intentionally scaring them off. Without meaning to, I frowned as this information fell into place. Suddenly, things made sense and the reason why Maenor found the situation so humorous was because somehow he had known.

"Taravel, are you alright?" Elessar asked, his eyebrows drawn together in concern.

"I—I am not sure," I answered with a small shake of my head.

"What is wrong?"

I could not exactly tell him what I wanted to say in the middle of a crowded ballroom and floundered in coming up with an excuse. I looked down briefly before looking back up at his face. It was closer than I remembered from a moment earlier and I realized that he had stepped closer.

"I need to talk to you, in private," I added.

The dance ended and as was traditional with this particular dance, the gentleman kissed the back of the lady's hand to signal the end of the dance. He raised my hand to his lips and gave it a gentle kiss.

"My Lady."

And then it was done and I was still reeling in shock from the fact that he had _kissed my hand._ My head went a little fuzzy at that point. It was information overload and I had never been more confused before in my life. I took several deep breaths to calm myself before weaving through the crowd and slipping out the door. I turned to look over my shoulder and saw Lothiriel giving me a questioning look. I gave a slight shake of my head and she nodded in understanding. I walked through the halls and as I did so anger replaced the majority of my confusion. I was ready to confront him and demand to know why.

**A/N Well hello there, don't be shy leave a review! Things get interesting next chapter…**


	13. Chapter 13

I stared at the stream in front of me, refusing to look at Elessar. He was not saying anything either and was waiting patiently for me to tell him what was wrong. My arms were folded tightly against my body as I continued to watch the stream. After several minutes of silence I began to speak.

"Have you been warning away the lords that have expressed an interest in me?"

"Yes."

My head whipped around and stared at him. He was looking back at me with a calm expression and took a step closer.

"Tara—"

"Why?" My voice was sharp.

"You are not like many of the Ladies at court. You deserve someone who cares deeply for you and does not see you as a prize to be won. You deserve someone who loves you." He took another careful step towards me but stopped when I took a step back. There was no change in his expression at my movement.

"You have no right to decide who I spend my time with, no matter how good your intentions are."

"You are angry at me."

"Yes! I am." My arms uncurled around me as I started to gesture wildly with my hands.

"You can't make decisions like that for me! While I appreciate that you scared away some of the more lecherous ones, I am still upset. It is my decision who I choose to spend my time with, not yours. And you should know that! We're friends, you know me, you know how I think and you know that I hate it when people make decisions for me without asking me. It's my life, not yours."

He was looking at me carefully, obviously weighing his options. "Taravel, I am sorry that my actions caused you distress."

"But you are not sorry that you did it."

His silence was answer enough.

"Okay then. Well you know how I feel about what you did."

I turned to walk away but paused as I heard his quiet voice say "Good night my Lady."

I did not acknowledge his words and continued to walk away. I was no longer quite as angry, but I felt confused and hurt. It was already well after midnight and I wandered aimlessly for the few hours of the night remaining. I finally went back to my rooms, finding my way in the pre-dawn light. I quietly moved around my rooms, finally settling down on my couch wrapped in a light-weight quilt for comfort, staring moodily at the wall. Lothíriel came through the door sometime later, took one look at me, stepped back outside and then came back in a few minutes later. She settled down beside me.

"I sent Rian for comfort food."

I nodded once in acknowledgment.

"What happened?"

"Men are fools."

"Okay, agreeing with you there, but why is your Ranger an idiot?"

I spilled the whole story to her, still staring at the wall in front of me. There was a quiet knock at the door and then Rian entered with a tray. She placed it on the end table and exited the room.

"Well despite the fact that he went about it the wrong way, this does show that he cares for you on some level."

I finally turned to look at her. "So you're saying that this is a good thing?"

"Yes. It made his position clearer."

"Hmm."

"Tara, have you slept?"

"No."

"You know that you are going to crash later."

"I know."

"But you don't care."

"Precisely."

I stood up and let the blanket fall at my feet before striding back to my bedroom to get to my closet. I was determined to go on a ride to help clear my head and calm down some. I stripped of my outer dress and carefully hung it back up before reaching into the depths of my closet for one of my riding dresses that allowed me to ride astride. I changed shoes and then proceeded to pick out the few sparkly pins in my hair. It fell down from its complicated style and I rebraided it before pinning it back up with plain hairpins.

"What are you doing?"

I turned to see Lothíriel standing in my doorway giving me a careful look.

"Exactly what it looks like I am doing; getting ready to go for a ride."

"By yourself?"

"Yes."

"That is not a very good idea."

"I'll bring my bow, I will be fine. If I am not back in my rooms before dark then you have my permission to send a search party."

She snorted. "You plan to be riding all day?"

"Not all day, but I am going to go to the archery range after and I am not sure how long I will be."

She took a few steps closer to me. "You really are upset by this."

I just gave her a look.

"I mean, I know you said that you were upset, but you only go on a ride and then to the archery range by yourself when you really _are_ upset."

"I just need to work through a few things," I said as I slung my quiver across my back with my bow held loosely in left hand.

"Try not to get yourself killed."

"I'll try."

As I walked out the door Areth appeared with a small bundle of food and wordlessly held it out to me. I accepted it and continued on my way. As I let the door to my rooms close behind me I heard Lothíriel reassuring Areth.

"Don't worry, she does this sometimes when she wants to be alone. She will be back to normal when she gets back…"

I greeted Flash quietly as a stable boy saddled her for me. I thanked him and led her out into the open before I mounted her. I readjusted my quiver and with a twitch of the reins we were off. I kept the pace slow, not wanting to tire her but she was eager to run. I let her when we reached the open field before slowing her to a walk once we reached the tree line. Things were clearer here than in the city and I was alone, which was what I craved at this particular time. Instead of meditating on the problem at hand my thoughts were inexplicably drawn back to when I was a child…

My father had loved to tell me stories about our family's past when I was a little girl. He would tell tales of our ancestors- the Númenóreans- and how they were faithful to the will of the Valar and sailed across the sea. He would recount battles and the formation of different treaties and briefly spoke of the origins of the Rohirric people. I would sit at his feet entranced, as he wove together tales of the past. As I got older the stories slowed and then eventually stopped around the time I turned eleven. I still craved to hear the stories of the past, and because my father refused to tell them to me anymore I began to read about them. I devoured the different histories and always wanted to know the _why_ behind them. Which was why I had been so frustrated at the lack of information of _why_ Gondor and Harad did not get along and were constantly at war. The pages of history were splattered with bloody wars and skirmishes.

For several years I read everything I could get my hands on about Harad. I learned plenty about their culture and language but nothing as to the reason why we were at war more times than at peace with them. Finally, when I was fifteen I uncovered an ancient manuscript at Dol Amroth that detailed the very first interactions between the newly formed Gondorian Nation and Harad. As I sifted through the Sindarin I often consulted a dictionary on the language, but the dictionary only helped me so much. The phrases and the style of writing were so archaic that it took me well over a month to actually read it and then comprehend it.

I read how the Númenóreans taught the people already here and helped improve their lives. At first all was well but then there was a group that began to exercise unrighteous dominion over the people of Harad and others. They were eventually kicked out and became the known as the Black Númenóreans, or the corsairs of Umbar, but the damage was already done and the Haradrim became distrustful of the men of the West. War broke out soon after over a land dispute. Currently the land was in Gondorian hands but it had changed often over the years. Once I figured out that the majority of the wars stemmed from a land dispute, I was not quite sure how to feel. I had kept Lothíriel updated over my search, which was partly why she was so interested in actually meeting someone form Harad. I liked to know the origins of things. It helped me organize my world.

All of this thinking about origins led me to think about the origin of my current anger and frustration. I tried to take a step back from the situation and analyze my reaction. Like I had told Elessar, the thing that had bothered me the most was his making the decision for me, not really the decision itself**.** As I continued to turn this over in my mind, slowly the pieces fell into place. Sometime later I emerged from the trees and was startled to realize how much time had passed- it was now midday. I reached for the food that Areth had given me and ate on the way back to the city.

Now back at the stables, I dismounted, and a stable hand collected Flash for me. I stretched briefly before I headed off to the archery range. I was mostly calm now and wanted the peace of mind that archery gave me and afterwards simply wanted to curl up with a good book. I approached the range and was glad that I had it to myself. I assumed the ready stance and took my time before I fired and gradually increased the pace and the distance. I was now at peace and over my feeling of anger and hurt and as I let another arrow fly my movements became automatic. I emptied my quiver more times than I could remember which proved to be a problem when I began to notice a stinging in my hands. I looked down and noticed that my fingers were bleeding. I gently set my bow down and looked at my hands. I'd had this happen a few times before when I had over trained, which I had done today. I sighed and brought my fingers closer to my face. From experience I knew that they would be tender for a couple days before they healed up.

I picked up my bow again and walked back to my rooms where I had basic medical supplies. Lothíriel was waiting for me. She let out an exasperated sigh when she saw the state of my hands. I ignored it and cleaned my fingers before smearing an herbal concoction onto them. I waited the required amount of time and then washed it off. I could practically feel the impatience rolling off Lothíriel in waves as I took my sweet time. I finally plopped down on a nearby chair with by body angled towards her and gave her an expectant look.

"I take it that you have worked through your problems, judging by the peace and tranquility that is radiating off of you."

"Yes." I smiled.

"Well good, because I have some news and I need you in a good mood to give me advice."

"Oh?"

"I think I am developing feeling for the Horse Lord."

That got me to turn and face her completely with a raised eyebrow. She was fidgeting, staring at her hands.

"Realllly?"

"Oh, don't say it like that."

"I've given you detailed descriptions of my love life, or lack thereof. Come on, spill."

"He is actually honest with what he is thinking which is rare and he doesn't play games. And I am so sick of games."

"Hmm, continue."

"And he…" she blushed and I leaned forward, intrigued."I don't know how to explain it properly. He will just look at me a certain way and suddenly I will just _feel_ something that I haven't felt in a long time."

I sat back, a little disappointed but smiled and said softly. "So what are you going to do about it?" My question echoed the one she had asked me weeks earlier.

"I truly have no idea," she stated cheerfully.

"Well that's a first."

We spent the rest of the time until dinner discussing what we were actually going to do about our feelings. We had each admitted that we had feelings for them which was a good first step but admitting it just to each other got us exactly nowhere. We had to let them know somehow that we were attracted to them but we could not just come out and say it; we had to be subtle about it. Something that was not exactly my strong suit.

"Now you are talking and dancing with him regularly so that is good but you need to be more obvious about your feelings for him to him, not the rest of Court; that would be a bad thing."

I rolled my eyes. "Thank you for stating the obvious. Are there any other words of wisdom that you want to dispense?"

"Not really, but there he is, go!" She pushed me forward (subtly) in his direction. I stumbled but caught myself and calmly walked up to him. I can do this. I repeated to myself as I continued to walk towards him. I can do this I said to myself again as he excused himself from the Lord he was talking with and smiled at me. I can do this, I repeated as I was suddenly there and looking straight into his eyes. I can do this…

**A/N I have finals all this week and then am moving so it will probably be two weeks before the next update unless a miracle happens. I am anxious to hear your responses! Thank you for reading this story.**


	14. Chapter 14

When I was a girl I dreamed about fairies and pixie dust. What girl doesn't? I loved to hear stories of mystical lands and enchanted princesses, only freed by true love's kiss. As I got older those stories lost their sparkle and eventually only seemed like pale imitations of reality. I still believed in love, but I no longer believed that love conquered all. Sometimes, loving someone just isn't enough. Sometimes life gets in the way of happy endings. Sometimes the princess remains cursed for eternity.

"It's going to be alright Rian," I said soothingly as I held her, sobbing, in my arms. "It's going to be alright," I repeated.

"Why?" It was the only word she had said after she told me what had happened.

"I don't know _why. _I don't understand why things like this happen just when it seems that the storm is over. I do know that things happen for a reason and that sometimes we don't see that reason till much later."

Her sobs had stopped and now she was just silently crying. "I don't understand, I love him!"

"I know."

"We were going to get married," she whispered with a small hitch in her voice.

"I know."

"How could he!?"

I stayed silent and gently rubbed her back.

"I can't—I can't go back to him. I can't forgive him for what he did."

"You don't have to forgive him Rian."

"But I should forgive him. It's the right thing to do."

"That is your choice but I don't think you should marry him anymore."

She pulled back and I got my first good look at her since she had broken down in front of me. Her eyes were red and slightly swollen. Pieces of her hair were falling out and sticking to her face and her skin was splotchy in places. As I watched the heartbroken look on her face quickly turn to anger.

"And I am not going to! I am so sick of all the double standards that exist in society. I am expected to be gentle and loving and patient and_ forgiving_." She practically spat that last word out. "And to never stray from my marriage vows or do anything to jeopardize my betrothal and to show complete fidelity towards my husband but its _fine_ if he goes out to the whore houses! It's fine if he is completely unfaithful towards me. In fact I am supposed to do everything in my power to keep him happy so he has no reason to stray." The wind seemed to go out of her sails as she sunk to the floor. "I thought he was one of the good ones." She whispered.

I heard careful footsteps, and Lothíriel came into view with a compassionate look.

"Rian," she said quietly as she knelt down beside her. "Take today and tomorrow off."

"Milady?"

"I mean it Rian."

"Yes Milady." She got up to her feet and composed herself before walking out the door.

Lothíriel watched as she left and as the door shut she turned to look at me.

"How much of that did you hear?"

"All of it, I think. It's so sad, I thought he was one of the good ones too."

"Sometimes things don't work out the way we think they will."

There was a moment of thoughtful silence before we moved as one to sit on the couch.

"Tara, what happened to you last night? You disappeared less than an hour after we got to the ball."

"Well," I said as I squirmed in my seat uncomfortably. "it is quite a long story."

Her eyes narrowed. "Spill." She ordered.

With a sigh I began to tell her everything.

_Last night…_

"Taravel." He greeted me quietly as he carefully searched my face.

"Elessar," I said as I looked at him with a small genuine smile.

He seemed to relax at my smile. "I assume you want to talk?"

"Yes. There are some things that I want to apologize for."

His brows furrowed. "You have nothing to apologize for."

"Yes I do."

He gave me a single nod and offered me his arm to escort me. We blended into the shadows and slipped out one of the side doors. We ended up near the same stream as yesterday, and he led me to a nearby stone bench and sat down. My hand fell from his arm and into my lap where I twisted my hands together. I looked at him, noticing that there were only inches separating us and then started to talk to him.

"I am sorry for yelling at you. I was upset and hurt, but that is no excuse for me losing my temper."

"It has all been forgiven."

We sat in companionable silence for several minutes. I felt his eyes on me and quickly glanced up to see him smiling. I looked back down, my lips quirking up into a smile.

"You-" I took a deep breath and tried again. "You are important to me, and your opinion matters. Just talk to me first." I was refusing to look at him and was instead staring down at my continuously twisting hands. His hand entered my field of vision and his fingers wrapped around mine, stilling the movement. Startled, I looked up at him.

"I will." His gaze was direct and piercing as he looked at me. He stood up and pulled me with him. "We should go before we are missed." Once again he escorted me and all at once my adrenaline seemed to disappear and I missed a step as exhaustion set in and it was hard to keep my eyes open. Recognizing the signs of an impending crash, I struggled to convey that to Elessar.

"I can't go back, I'm crashing…" I stopped walking all together and started to sway.

"Crashing…?" He turned to look at me with confusion written all over his face. As he took in my appearance, understanding coursed across his face. "Oh, why didn't you say something earlier?"

"It didn't start happening till just now." As I swayed again his hands caught my upper arms and held me firmly upright.

"How long has it been since you slept?"

When I didn't answer he said "Taravel," rather sharply.

I winced at the volume and muttered "Not so loud."

"Answer me."

"Uh," I did the mental math and used my fingers to help keep track. "Thirty-two hours? Give or take an hour," I concluded feeling rather proud of myself for being able to muster the mental capacity to produce a coherent answer.

He cursed under his breath and abruptly clamped me to his side, and my arm automatically wrapped around him. When I looked up at him in confusion he sighed wearily and answered my unspoken question. "You are right; you are in no condition to go back and since you are seeming to be having trouble standing up I am going to have to help you."

My head dropped and rested against his shoulder as my eyes drifted shut.

"You need to stay awake."

"I am awake," I mumbled and could not fight the multiple yawns that came out of my mouth.

He sighed again in exasperation and we walked together in silence and the farther we went the more of my weight he was supporting. We were in the right hallway when he stopped and scooped me up without a word. I was too tired and my head was too muddled to analyze the action. I simply adjusted my arms for stability and drifted off into a light doze. I woke up somewhat when I felt him shift and reach for my door handle. Things were still fuzzy as he set me down on my bed. I automatically took my shoes off and undid my hair and it fell in an uncontrollable mess around me from the various hair pins. I sleepily slid underneath my blankets and blindly reached to pull them up but my fingers hit nothing but air. Then, seemingly of their own accord they were tucked around me. I looked up to see Elessar leaning over me with his face going in and out of focus.

"You are precious to me as well My Lady." I dimly heard him whisper as his hand gently brushed against my cheek before I finally succumbed to exhaustion.

_Present…_

"Wow."

"Uh huh."

"I'm not even sure what to say to that."

"I know."

"Good for you! This is substantial progress, and he really carried you back to your rooms?"

"Yes, he really did."

"How did he even know where your rooms were?"

"You know? I have absolutely no idea how he knew."

"And that doesn't bother you?"

I shrugged. "Not really."

"Okay then. While I am incredibly happy for you but I have a bit of a problem."

"And what is your problem?"

"The Horse Lord is leaving for Rohan in three days."

"Well he has to come back for Éowyn's wedding."

"She is going back with him."

"That makes since, I would want to see my home too after an experience like she had. Besides, she will be back. After all she is getting married here. I am going to miss her," I added thoughtfully.

"That still doesn't solve my problem!"

"You know Lothi, there are these things called letters. It's like talking but with ink."

She scowled at me. "You are not helping," she said through gritted teeth.

I gave her a brilliant smile. "What can I say, I am in a fantastic mood."

She harrumphed and gave me an ugly look. "And I am not. Between my problems with the Horse Lord and Rian's breakdown which is completely understandable by the way, all of the happiness seems to have been sucked out of me." She crossed her arms in a huff.

I gave her a shrewd look. "Something else has happened, something else has you all riled up. What happened?"

Now it was her turn to squirm uncomfortably. "I was looking for you in one of the nearby hallways when someone else went looking for me."

"Oh really? Now who could that be?"

"It was Éomer."

I leaned forward extremely intrigued because this was the first time I had ever heard her use his actual name.

"And…?"

"Well he told me he was leaving to go back to Rohan soon and that he didn't want to leave things unfinished."

I leaned even farther forward. "Continue."

"And then he, well," she was blushing and my eyebrows shot up to my hairline as I thought about what could leave Lothíriel blushing. "He kissed me."

"Lothi! Why didn't you tell me this earlier! How was it?"

"It was good._ Really_ good."

I noticed that her hands were twisting, a habit she had picked up from me and my eyes narrowed and I gave her a _look._ A 'you better tell me everything right this second' look.

"It is just that the last person I kissed died, and I can't help but think of that. I kissed him and two days later he died." She whispered.

"Lothíriel that was not your fault; you can't blame yourself for Delavar's death."

She looked up at me with desperate eyes. "But what if Éomer dies?"

"He won't," I said firmly. "If all the armies of Sauron could not kill him nothing will."

"Everybody dies Tara."

"But he won't, not for a long time."

Her lips twisted into a bitter smile. "Nothing is certain."

"Which is why you shouldn't worry about that." I hesitated briefly before I tentatively spoke up. "Have you talked to him about any of this?"

"No."

"You should, eventually."

"And how exactly should I start that conversation? Should I lead with 'the last man I kissed died or that he was Haradrim and I was in love with him?' Please, tell me Tara because I have no idea what to do." There was an edge of hysteria to her voice.

"I don't have all of the answers Lothíriel, but this type of thing should be discussed face to face and not through letters. I am not saying that you have to tell him right away, but eventually you should." My voice was quiet.

She bit her lip briefly and gave a short nod. I scooted closer to her and pulled her into a hug and gently smoothed her hair down.

"I am so sorry that you had to go through that alone for so many weeks."

"Your mother was very sick Tara, but you came as soon as you got my letter, and I will always be grateful for that. You have always come when I needed you." She said with a muffled voice. We stayed that way for several long minutes before she pulled back with a wavering smile. "Let's talk about happier things."

I gave her a careful look before reluctantly agreeing.

**A/N I'm back! How did you like this chapter, what did you think was going to happen after you read the first paragraph? For the next chapter there was a song I listened to obsessively that really captures the mood of the next chapter. My question for you is would you like me to tell you the song at the the beginning of the next chapter? As always, I really appreciate your reviews! **


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N Thank you to all those that have reviewed and followed/favorited this story. I listened to 'Treacherous' by Taylor Swift obsessively when writing this chapter so if you'd like, you can have that playing when you read it. I was doing a page count yesterday and realized that this makes a 130 pages, I can't believe that i have written that much. Please, tell me what you think! On to the chapter. **

Éomer, Éowyn, and the rest of the Rohirrim left, as did the Hobbits in the first part of June. Lothíriel was quiet for several days after that, which was highly unusual for her. It was then that I knew for sure that her feelings for Éomer were genuine; if it had simply been a flirtation there would have been no change in her behavior. A quiet Lothíriel was extraordinarily strange, but it had nothing on the behavior of Elessar. Something had changed in our relationship. We were no longer simply friends but we were not _courting_. And it was incredibly frustrating, because I could not pin down what we were to each other.

I was contemplating all of these things and staring blankly at the books spread out in front of me, when I could feel someone standing just behind my shoulder. I turned to look and of course it was the object of my musings, Elessar. He pulled out a chair and sat down, taking in the scattered books and scrolls that took up the majority of the table space, and then turned to face me with a raised eyebrow.

I turned my head to look at all of the books and began to talk, ramble really. "I'm brushing up on the mythology of Near Harad, the roles of the different gods and goddesses and what colors and symbols they are associated with. The more I look at it the more they seem to be a corrupted form of the Valar, the names are different but what they do and their symbols are so similar that—"

"Taravel."

That stopped me, and I looked at him but almost wished I had not. The way he was looking at me made all of my thoughts freeze and my hands still. His hand rose to my face and pushed back a tendril of hair that had fallen out, and then lingered and my heart rate accelerated. Tracing the curve of my cheek his thumb dipped lower and brushed against the corner of my mouth. His thumb continued to brush gently against my skin as he began to speak. I admit at this point I was having an extremely hard time focusing, but who could blame me?

"I wrote to your father a week ago and received a reply this morning." His voice was low and all of his attention was fixed on me.

But why was that important? Why did it matter if he wrote to my father? It could not mean that he…could it?

"Do you know what I asked him?"

I shook my head silently. I had my suspicions but I was not sure.

"I asked him for permission to court you, and he gave it. Now I am asking you for your permission My Lady." His voice was soft, almost caressing the last two words and suddenly my mind flashed back to all the times he had called me 'My Lady' and I realized that it was a recent thing and he only ever called me that when we were alone.

Mutely I nodded and could not keep the smile off my face. He mirrored my smile and then leaned forward and placed a kiss on my cheek, dangerously close to my lips. His lips were soft and lingered, before he pulled back. Now looking at me with more emotion than I had ever seen on his face; he took my hand in his and intertwined our fingers as his other hand fell from my face. He turned back to face the table and asked in a completely normal voice how similar the Valar and the Haradrim gods really were. It took slightly longer for my own voice to return to normal as I started to explain.

He rarely left my side and was highly attentive to my needs and wants. I had already committed to a lunch with Lothíriel and he escorted me to an out of the way corner of the gardens. He gave me another gentle kiss on the cheek before releasing my hand and walking back. I was still standing there, absorbing it all when I finally turned around to see Lothíriel with her arms crossed and both eyebrows raised. Apparently she had seen our goodbye.

"Someone has not been completely honest with me," she sang out as she stepped forward and grabbed ahold of my arm and dragged me back to where our picnic was laid out.

"It just happened," I protested as I sat down.

"Hmm."

I rolled my eyes and quickly recounted everything that had happened. As I talked her eyes got wider and her grin became bigger.

"Now that is progress, but he didn't give you a real kiss?"

"No," I grumbled. Yes I was the slightest bit disappointed that he did not truly kiss me, but we were courting for real now and there was no point in hiding it. The servants were gossips and the news would get out one way or the other. He said he was going to announce it tomorrow instead of today, because he wanted to enjoy time with me without the whole of court knowing about it and attempting to spy on us.

She shrugged. "He is probably just making sure that he stays within the boundaries of courting traditions. Though he is toeing the line with all of the time that you have spent alone together."

"Technically we did not go out in public because the library is part of the King's estate and thus we did not need any supervision."

She stared at me. "When did you look that up?"

"Last month."

"That far back?"

"You know I like to be prepared, just in case. I'm really glad this 'just in case' scenario happened."

"I am sure you are."

I finally started to eat after telling Lothíriel everything for the better part of an hour. It was quiet then and my mind turned to other, less happy topics.

"How is Rian?" I asked softly.

"She is doing better. Most days she gets a little better. Some days are bad." Her lips pressed into a thin line. "And those are the days that I hate him."

"And how are you doing?"

She let out a heavy sigh and stared down at her hands. "I miss Éomer, and I never thought that I would miss him. At least, not when I first met him. It is a little scary how much he means to me now; I don't want things to end like they did before. I don't want my heart broken again."

"It won't be." I said with utter conviction.

"Have you heard from your parents?"

I took that to mean that she was done with the conversation. "No, should I have?"

"If your father granted him permission and his letter arrived today, don't you think that there would be one for you too?"

"I didn't even think of that."

"That's why you have me."

"Well, it is nothing that can't wait until later," I said as I picked up my satchel full of books.

"Have fun!" She called, waving cheerfully at me.

I returned her wave and adjusted the shoulder strap before heading out. I could tell that she wanted to be left alone but would never say so, not to me at least. I was going back to my rooms to put the finishing touches on the siren painting, as her birthday was next week, as was mine. I wondered briefly what gift she would get for me before my attention was diverted to how I was going to transport the painting. Deciding that the solution would come to me in time I changed my dress and got to work. It was an hour until dusk by the time I set my paintbrush down and took a few steps back to survey my work. I nodded once, satisfied. As always, I cleaned up, and then I took the books out and laid them on a nearby table. As I did so I noticed that there was a bundle of letters, tied together with twine still in my satchel. A turned them over in my hands and saw a note sitting on the top it read simply:

'Taravel, these are for you. — Elessar' Curious I untied the bow and began to read the first letter.

_My Lady,_

_I know how much you like words and grumble about how nobody takes the time to write heartfelt letters, or even notes to each other anymore so I decided to start writing to you. If I will ever give these to you is different matter. The first thing that I noticed about you were your eyes. I thought they were grey at first but now I know that they are in fact a dark blue. Your eyes are expressive even when you are trying so desperately hard to hide what you are feeling. I learned to read your moods from your eyes and not the way you spoke or what expressions crossed your face. I learned to read you._

_When you are nervous about something you have a way of twisting your hands and when you are upset you refuse to look anyone in the eye. But not when you are angry. When you are angry you look them right in the eye and your eyes get darker._

_I am beginning to care for you and when I first met you I swore that I would not, that I would not risk my heart again but you have somehow found a way into my heart anyway._

_Elessar_

I eagerly opened the next one.

_My Lady,_

_It seems that whenever I turn around there you are. Laughing, smiling. Chasing your brothers because they took something of yours or running away from them because you took something of theirs. I see you in the library often, with a frown upon your face as you read, or a grin as you try to stifle your laughter. I see you with paint flecks on your hands and face. And more often than not I see you with Lothíriel._

_You are often in my thoughts and I worry about you when you take off on your own with nothing more for protection than your wits and your bow. I know that you are fiercely independent and value your solitude and I would never take either away from you. I only ask that you be careful and do not hesitate to ask for help when you need it. I want you to be safe, but more importantly I desire your happiness._

_Elessar_

My eyes were wide as I finished reading. How could I have missed the signs? How could I have not seen? I shook my head and broke the seal of the next letter.

_My Lady,_

_I know that you are upset with me right now and that you do not understand why I did what I did and did not tell you. There are those that see women as a toy, something to be used and then discarded when they become bored. That is wrong and I wished to correct their mistake. You are worth so much more than that and deserve someone who will love you and cherish you for who you are as a person._

_I care deeply for you and when I am with you my responsibilities as king do not seem so heavy. You look beyond my title and I know that you are beginning to understand._

_Elessar_

I was about to break the seal of the final letter when I heard a knock on the door and Areth appeared carrying yet another letter.

"Milady? This is for you and was accidentally delivered to Lady Lothíriel instead." She said as she handed it to me.

"Thank you Areth."

"Would you like me to bring you dinner?"

"That would be lovely."

She dipped into a quick curtsy before exiting and shutting the door. I noticed that the seal had already been broken and figured that Lothíriel had begun to read it before she realized it was for me.

I unfolded it and smoothed the creases before I began to read, quickly realizing that it was from my parents.

_Dear Tara,_

_The King of Gondor has just written to me asking for permission to court you. You better accept because he is the king and I_

The letter abruptly cut off before starting again in my mother's handwriting.

_What your father means dear is that we are very happy for you if you really do care for him but you do not have to feel obligated to accept. We are wealthy enough that you do not have to worry and poor enough to know that no lord is after your fortune which is a good place to be. I know that you will make the right choice for you, just please send us back a letter as soon as you have made your decision._

_If you do accept his offer there are certain womanly things that we need to discuss. I know that I spoke to you about it when you were thirteen but if you are courting then I think that you would have more interest now than when you were younger. It never hurts to go over things and I would rather you be embarrassed and have the information you need than naïve and scared. If you do decide to accept I will come back for a few days. I want to meet the lady that your brother is courting anyway._

_Love, mother and father_

I felt a cold sense of dread wash over me as I read 'certain womanly things that we need to discuss'. I remembered refusing to make eye contact with my mother the entire time as she was completely matter a fact about everything. Now that there was 'someone' as she put it I felt like the impending conversation was going to be a thousand times worse. Before, the 'someone' was an abstract blurry image, but now it was clear as day. I felt my face heat up and groaned. Only my mother had the power to embarrass me from miles away. I folded the letter back up and stuffed it into a box containing jewelry that I hardly ever wore. I could afford to wait to reply until tomorrow.

I looked at the final letter and picked it up and opened it. It was the shortest of them all containing only one line.

_My Lady,_

_I have fallen for you._

_Elessar_


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N A few things before you get start reading. 1. Go back and reread ch.15, it marks the end of one story arc and hints of the next one are scattered throughout the previous chapters. 2. I know some of you are wondering what happened to Arwen and that will be addressed, just not in this chapter. 3. Thank you to zZhell-butterflyZz, guest, tessastarchild, and Borys68 for reviewing last chapter and a thank you to all those who have reviewed previous chapters. 4. Please leave a review, I appreciate every single one of them!**

In the wake of the announcement that Elessar was courting me, I received far more attention than I was used to. I could no longer fade into the background and observe**;** I was front and center almost the whole time. I learned how to evade questions that frankly they had no business asking and how to put on a polite smile as others bemoaned their problems to me in the hopes that it would reach the ears of the King.

I also became quite skilled at reigning in Lothíriel when several of the jilted ladies made double edged comments on my appearance and even occasionally my virtue, for how else had I managed to ensnare the king? They insinuated, I had to have done questionable things in order for him to have any interest at me. I always responded with a polite smile and a veiled comment on their own behaviors. Which was enough for them to leave me alone because they wondered exactly how much I knew before they would hound me again.

It was not until day five that I realized that whenever I was in the company of Faerel, they stayed far away. The only ones that dared to approach were those who knew me personally and those at court who were genuinely sweet and wished to congratulate me. Those people I had no problem speaking with. I asked Faerel about it later that night.

She had responded that, "They stay away because they know that with a few words I could destroy them. I have enough on them to get them shut away in shame for the rest of their lives. You are doing remarkably well, all things considered with dealing with them."

Whenever I wanted a reprieve, I sought out Faerel or Elessar. They never dared to say those types of comments when I was in the presence of either of them. Which is how I found myself tucked up against Elessar, with his arm wrapped around me and his hand resting on my waist. I let out a small sigh of relief as the gathering was breaking up, and was silently grateful that there were only balls about once a week instead of every day like before. There were still other social events throughout the week and I became picky about which ones I attended as I had received a flood of invitations. I was shaken out of my thoughts by the arrival of one Lady Saelris, the lady that my brother was courting.

"Taravel, I was hoping that I could speak with you."

"Of course." I stepped away from Elessar and followed her to a small alcove. "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"I just wanted to check up on you, see how you were surviving after being metaphorically thrown to the wolves." She said with a teasing smile.

I shrugged. "I'm doing alright. Learned a few new things."

She made a noncommittal sound.

"I'm fine really." As I talked my hand had risen up and was playing with the crescent moon necklace that my mother had given me. And speaking of my mother… "You do know that my mother is coming in a few days, to meet you?"

"I know!" She let out a large huff of breath. "Barech told me, but he said that she was mostly coming for your birthday and that meeting me was an added bonus." She said, saying that last part sarcastically.

"You have no need to worry. My mother is not hyper-critical or judgmental."

There was a quick twist of her lips, something that was almost a smile before her expression became neutral again.

888

I was back in my rooms and massaging my temples in a vain effort to make my headache go away. My mother was due to arrive today, and it was also Lothíriel's birthday. The painting had been framed and I had enlisted my brother's help in moving it into Lothíriel's sitting room. I had left a note with it and now all I could do was wait. Wait for my mother's arrival and the impending conversation, wait for my headache to go away, and wait to hear from Laili and news of Harad.

I picked up the stack of books that I had left on the end table to put them away in my bedroom. But as I did do I misjudged the distance and banged my bare toe on the table leg. The top two books slid off and fell to the floor with a thud as I bent over and let out a hiss of breath. The pain lasted for less than a minute, but it still _hurt. _I glared at the table and then bent over to pick the books up off the floor and noticed that a slip of parchment had fallen out on which I recognized the hand writing. I grinned, headache forgotten momentarily as I sat down on the floor and began to read. Elessar had taken to writing little notes to me and slipping them between the pages of my books or having Areth deliver them.

_There is a story among the Haradrim of the sun and the moon. They loved each other but could never touch and only caught glimpses of the other as the day turned to night and the night to day. As time passed they grew despondent and little by little lost their brilliance until their light threatened to go out completely. The gods took pity on the sun and the moon and the first eclipse occurred so that they could finally touch, if only for a few minutes. And so the sun and the moon regained their brilliance and balance was restored. And ever after there have been eclipses. The love that the sun and the moon bore each other never faded and with each eclipse a new star was born._

_That is the tale I was told when I lived among the wandering tribes, I thought that you would like to add it to your collection of myths._

A beautiful story, and one that actually had a happy ending. I smiled at his thoughtfulness and then stood up with the books in one hand and the note in the other. I put them away in their proper places and slipped shoes on before leaving to meet my mother.

It had been almost two months since we had last seen each other but as always it was like we had never been apart. We were sitting across from each other in my sitting room after spending the better part of an hour catching up.

My fingers were twisting in my lap while I wondered when my mother would bring up what she had discussed in her letter. For the moment we were sitting in silence, silence that I knew could not last long.

"Tara?"

Almost unwillingly I lifted my eyes to look at her. There was a gentle smile on her face, something that startled me. My mother was rarely gentle. She was a force of nature, a hurricane that swept through life and forced people to listen to her and pay attention.

"Yes mother?"

"Are you happy? Truly happy with your decision?"

I nodded slowly as I smiled. "I am." I laughed and then shook my head. "I never expected any of this you know. Falling for the king, making friends with Faerel of all people, and seeing Lothíriel fall in love as well. No one expected us to win this war," I said softly.

She leaned further back against the cushions with a thoughtful look on her face. "I am glad that you are happy." Then she tilted her head a little to the side as she examined me. "You have grown since I last saw you and I don't mean physically."

A pleased smile spread across my face. "Thank you."

"Now about what I said in my letter…"

888

Night found me in Flash's stall as I braided her mane to give my hands something to do. Lothíriel's brothers had whisked her away for her birthday and I had not seen her until dinner. She looked exhausted but mostly happy and she had thanked me for her gift before spending the rest of the night far away, remembering.

My fingers stilled and I leaned forward until my weight was resting against Flash. Parts of Laili's letter were continuously running through my mind ever since I had received it this morning.

_Come in August…conflict is escalating…wounded…killed…war is on the horizon. _

"Can we not have a moment of peace?" I whispered into Flash's mane. "I thought things would be better after the war. I thought there would be no more needless deaths. So much for that thought."

Still there was hope that it would leave us untouched. Perhaps a foolish hope but hope nonetheless.

"I don't even know why I am talking to you. You're a horse, you don't understand a word I'm saying, "I muttered.

With a final pat I drew my cloak tighter around me-the nights could be quite chilly and this was no exception- before I stepped out of the stall and stables. I could probably find my way back blind folded by now because I had walked the path so many times and before I knew it I was in front of the door that led to my quarters with no clear memory of how I had gotten there. With a rueful smile I stepped through the door and prepared for bed, trying to block out the memories that this time of year always brought. Perhaps that is why I dreamed what I did; a mixture of what I remembered and what I had been told…

_It was the first time we had ever been apart for our birthdays, but she understood why I went away. My mother was sick with the same illness that had taken Lothíriel's mother away from her as a child. I had been exposed when I was young and thus was_ _immune**;** children always had a better chance of recovery than adults._

_For weeks I had watched her exchange looks and notes with_ Delavar**,**_ Laili's_ cousin**,**_ and saw it grow from simple attraction and flirting to something deeper, something real. I watched again as she burst into my room at midnight awaking me from a dead sleep as she leaped on top of my bed with sparkling eyes and hair loose and tangled from the wind. He loved her! He had told her he loved her! She was so happy, so alive that I kept my doubts to myself. I had warned her early on to not act on impulse and to make sure that it was true. She had waved away my words with the confidence that came from youth and nobility and I never said anything again. But I was always there in case she needed me, until I wasn't._

_I had left two weeks before our birthdays for home, the first time I had been back in nearly two years. My mother as stubborn and determined as she was recovered and every day grew stronger. My whole family was relieved of course, but I could not shake the sense of unease that I had felt ever since I had left Dol Amroth. Perhaps if I had paid better attention to it I would have left sooner. But I lingered for my birthday and a week after. All the time my unease growing until I received a letter from Lothíriel and I knew that I had to go back._

_My mother's line could sense something of the future of those we held dear. All of my brothers had shown flashes of it. My oldest somehow knowing that I had climbed a tree and had slipped and was falling, the distance would have broken my neck had he not caught me._

_I had arrived to find her curled up in a little ball in her bed. Pale and shaking from what had happened. It was then that I learned the truth. It had been her birthday and they were riding to go on a picnic, her, Delavar, and a few others from the Haradrim Caravan. One Swan Knight went with them. They had been ambushed by bandits bearing a grudge against Dol Amroth for encouraging trade with Harad, people that they considered inferior to them._

_This time instead of hearing her explain like what had really happened, I was there beside her as they were attacked. I saw the fighting and watched as Delavar took a blow that was aimed for her, a blow that would have killed her but instead killed him. In the end she was the only one left alive, stranded without anyone thinking to look for her for several more hours. What had been an easy ride now seemed a daunting task on foot. I watched as she kneeled down in the dirt and cried but I was held immovable. The dream would not let me go to her and even though I knew that this had already happened and that there was nothing that I could do, I still felt useless and angry._

I woke up with tears running down my cheeks and sat up in bed and wiped them away. Lothíriel still had nightmares about the events of her eighteenth birthday where she was forced to relive it all in great detail, unable to change a single thing. Her birthday was now bittersweet to her because it marked the death anniversary of the first man she loved.

One good thing did come out of all of that. It bound the three of us together-me, Lothíriel, and Laili-far more tightly than before as we shared each other's grief and the weight of Lothíriel's secret. No one else beside the three of us knew about Delavar, and we have kept that secret ever since. Though the old saying 'secrets never stay buried' still haunts me.


	17. Chapter 17

"Run. Run and don't look back."

"But what about you? Th-they will hurt you!"

"Go find your parents. Tell them where I am and what happened."

"I can't just leave—"

"You can and you will. Think of the others, it is not just our lives in the balance. Would you condemn them?"

She shook her head, face resolute beneath the dirt and congealed blood.

"You have to go now. We don't have much time until they come back."

I knelt on the on the grimy floor and linked my hands together. She placed one foot on top of them and I stood, boosting her up so she could crawl through the broken window. She was scrawny and stick straight, but as it was her shoulders just barely cleared the window. I heard her hiss in pain, and then she was through. The moonlight illuminated the blood dripping from the glass and I sat down on the straw pallet and hoped and prayed that she would get there in time…

_Hours earlier_

The days went by and my birthday passed without incident. The only thing of note that occurred was that Lothíriel received a letter from Éomer which sent her into a round of sighs and staring dreamily off into the distance. I was just waiting for her to snap out of it so I could hold an actual conversation with her. Silently I wondered if I had ever been this bad and almost immediately concluded that no I had not. Speaking of romantic entanglements, I still practiced with Elessar, though it was only twice a week now and what had previously been all business had undertones of something…else.

It made concentrating a right pain because there was a little something extra in his eyes that was driving me crazy, but he refused to actually touch me when he was practicing with me.

Still, it was nice to spend time with him away from prying eyes.

I was sketching in the garden tucked away in an out of the way corner and minding my own business. Of course all good things must come to an end, and my peace and quiet was interrupted by loud stomps and what sounded like curses. I put my drawing pencils aside as I looked up with interest to locate the source of the sounds.

I did not have to look far.

A girl strode into view with clenched fists and mud smeared across her skirt. Her hair had come halfway undone and her ribbon was threatening to slip completely from her head. As she turned her head I saw more mud on her cheek and trailing off into her hairline.

I was far more interested now. It looked like she had quite the story to tell. I quickly sketched the basics of what I saw (I would fill in the blanks later) before I shut my sketchbook closed.

While I was doing this the girl had worked herself into quite a state. From what I could hear I gathered that her brother and his friends had ambushed her in another part of the gardens and in the ensuing scuffle she had fallen into the mud. My eyebrows rose at some of her more inventive phrasing and I could not help the grin that stretched across my face.

My head shifted to the side as I tried to place her. Judging by the quality and style of her clothing I should know her and she did look slightly familiar but her name was escaping me. I shrugged and decided I should probably let her know that she was not alone before she caught sight of me. So schooling my features into a pleasant expression with no traces of amusement on my face I did just that.

"Hello."

She whirled around with a fierce expression on her face which was quickly replaced with a neutral one. Her fingers relaxed as she quickly sunk into a curtsy.

"Pardon me for intruding, I did not realize anyone else was here." The transformation from a spitting mad heathen to a polite and cultured Lady was astounding.

And I must say that she had perfected the docile and innocent expression that was expected of Ladies. Of course the whole persona was slightly ruined by the mud marring her dress and face.

"Oh you weren't intruding." I said with a wave of my hand. "The gardens are open to everyone, though I must say that I am quite intrigued by your story. I was able to piece some of it together but I would love to hear the full tale from you. It seems far for interesting than anything I am doing presently." I looked at her expectantly.

She looked shocked and opened and closed her mouth a few times. Then I remembered that I had neglected to introduce myself and that I did not know her name either.

"I am Lady Taravel by the way." I stated cheerfully. "Who are you?"

"I know who you are, everyone knows who you are," she replied.

I continued to look at her expectantly.

"Oh," she flushed, "I am Lady Araferil."

As I examined her closer I came to the conclusion that she was around fourteen years old.

"Well Lady Araferil, I am very interested to know why it looks like you were wrestling pigs."

She hesitantly moved closer and I could see the indecision warring on her face.

"I was wrestling pigs in a manner of speaking. My brother and his friends are horrid boys who enjoy making my life difficult. I was in the gardens to get away from them but they found me anyway. I slipped and fell into a mud puddle. After that it became a bit of a war before they decided that they were bored."

"I see."

She was remarkably composed all things considered. My opinion of her rose a few notches.

"Are they doing this maliciously or are they just being extremely annoying boys?"

"Annoying boys, I hope that they will grow out of it but I am trying to not get my hopes up too high because my sister never grew out of being malicious."

"And your sister is?"

Her shoulders grew tight and every line of her body screamed defensiveness but she answered.

"Lady Saeril."

I nodded once. "That is quite the legacy to live up to."

Internally I was reeling. Saeril led the ladies of the Court with an iron fist and took great pleasure out of ruining lives and reputations. Her family was powerful, just below Lothíriel in rank and she hated me simply because she thought I was the reason behind Lothíriel's refusing to join her court. Until Osgilith, Saeril and Faerel had ruled the Court. Faerel befriending me had only fanned the flames. She had dialed it down in light of recent events and regarded me with an icy detachment that made it clear that she thought me beneath her and thus not worth her time. This new arrangement suited me just fine. While I was digesting this new information and evaluating the girl who stood in front of me, I swear this next part just slipped out without me properly taking the time to think about it.

"How did you survive your childhood?!"

There was a completely startled look that flashed across her face, followed by disbelief, and then a quiet thoughtfulness as she eyed me.

"I am an accomplished horsewoman, and I read. My sister never sets foot in a library if she can help it."

"So your strategy was to evade at all costs."

"Yes."

"Huh, and that worked for you?"

"Most of the time."

"Lothíriel, Faerel, and I are going to the market later today. Would you care to join us?"

"Uh, yes. I will come."

"Excellent, we will see you there."

I knew Lothi was going to be annoyed and make a snide comment about me adopting another stray but ultimately would give her a chance. I was not sure if I wanted to be friends with her per se, more like I recognized pieces of myself in her and wanted to be a mentor to her. I knew what her mother and sister were like and I got the impression that her father had only married her mother for her mother's money and connections. Her father's extramarital relations were common knowledge and gossip always included his newest paramour. Her mother was more discreet and nothing could be proved for sure but rumors always surrounded her. Despite the gossip circling individual members, House Bragollach's honor was faultless. Their loyalty to Gondor and to their vassal Houses was beyond reproach. They took care of their own, I had to give them that.

My lips twitched as I looked over her appearance again.

"You might want to change first."

She raised mud encrusted hands and sighed.

"Yes, that is probably a good idea."

**888**

"You invited who?"

"Lady Araferil, she is Saeril's younger sister."

"You invited who?!"

"Honestly Lothi, you are making a much bigger deal out of this than needs to be."

"Making a big deal? Tara she is Saeril's sister! You do not invite people like that! It is against the rules."

"What rules?"

"The same rules that state it is a bad idea to poke a sleeping bear with a stick."

"Now that's just common sense."

She jabbed a finger in my direction. "Exactly! Common sense. You do not invite the sister of your mortal enemy to go to the market!"

"You have no problem with Faerel coming and she is hardly my mortal enemy."

"That is completely different. She changed."

I gave her a level stare and waited for her to get the rant out of her system. When she had stopped flailing around and looked calmer I interjected.

"If you can accept Faerel you can accept Araferil. She is not her sister, just like Faerel is not her past."

"Well hello there voice of reason. I have missed you while Tara took a brief sojourn in the land of the lovesick. It's nice to have you back."

I rolled my eyes. "I was not that bad."

"Yes, you were. Need I remind you of the time you came barging into my room at the crack of dawn going on about his eyes? Or the many times in the first few days after you two first started courting, you stared into the distance and got the most ridiculous sappy expression on you**r** face?"

"Point taken, but you were just as bad with the Horse Lord and every time you get a letter from him you drift around in a happy daze for the rest of the day."

"Let's just say that we are both helpless romantics with no notion of when to give up."

"Agreed, now about Araferil?"

"Fine." She waved one hand in my direction. "I will be nice, I promise."

"Good."

After a semi successful shopping trip we were walking back. It was dusk and our purchases were to be delivered the next day. Faerel and Lothíriel were several yards ahead of us and I was rummaging in my satchel. My hand stilled as I forgot whatever it was I was looking for. With a shrug I withdrew my hand but dislodged my sketchbook in the process. It fell out and tumbled some feet away along with a few other knickknacks. Grumbling I followed it down a side street, Araferil following after me to help pick up my things.

What happened next was a bit of a blur. Arms restrained me and I fought back instinctively. I heard a pained wheeze as my elbow made contact with my assailant's throat. Momentarily I broke free before I was grabbed again and a knife was held to my neck. I stilled after that and I was quickly gagged and blindfolded.

After an undeterminable amount of time I was shoved forward and my blindfold was removed. Araferil was standing next to me with a cut running across the arch of one cheekbone. Her hair had come completely undone and hung loose down her back. There were five men in the room with us and their attention was focused on the sixth man who had just entered. He looked better dressed and cared for than the others. His eyes narrowed as he stared at us and an expression of disgust crossed his face as he addressed the men in general.

"I told you to get girls no one would miss, not Ladies!" he roared.

His eyes zeroed in on the necklace that Araferil wore. It was silver and bore her family crest. Then he turned to look at me. "And who do you belong to?"

I glared at him instead.

"Remove their gags!"

The men sprang into action.

Araferil's voice rang out before I had a chance to answer. "She is my sister."

My eyes flickered over to hers but I did not refute her claim.

The leader paced. Yelling that they were all incompetent idiots before he seemed to calm down.

"Take the girl's necklace, we are going to ransom them alive and _unspoiled. _They will be worth far more that way."

The door slammed shut behind them and when I was sure that they were gone I whispered to Araferil, "Why?"

She knew what I meant.

"Your name is all over the city. I figured it would be safer for you if you were my sister."

"Thank you."

There was a pause and then, "What did he mean when he said to only grab girls no one would miss."

Oh, I was not expecting that question. My fingers twisted around themselves as I answered carefully but honestly. "They want girls they can sell to the brothels and to other private people."

She grew pale and I impulsively reached for her hand. "They won't touch us, we are worth far more ransomed than sold. I am more worried about the others. We can't have been the only ones taken." I whispered as the sound of faint crying reached my ears.

From the look on Araferil's face, she had heard it as well.

I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself. I turned in a slow circle around the room. It was then that I noticed the window. It was high up in the wall and at ground level to the streets, the glass was broken. It was small and I appraisingly ran my eyes up and down Araferil's body. She had the shape of a girl more than a woman and I did not think that she possessed the strength to lift me to it, which left only one option. A smile grew on my face as I turned more fully to Araferil.

"I have an idea."

**A/N A thank you to: tessastarchild, Mistra Rose, Leafwood, Silk's Shadow, and Lunar678 for reviewing. I know it has been awhile and I really have no great excuses. The only thing I can give you is that in the time between my last update and this one I have written seven chapters of an original story. Please leave a review, your support means a lot! Thanks.**


	18. Chapter 18

I wrapped my arms tightly around myself as I stared vacantly off into the distance. I was safe now, I was okay.

_I tracked the time by the light of the moon. Araferil had been gone for almost two hours and my senses were hyper alert. The sound of the wind, the rattling of tree branches, and the sniffles and occasional sob that I could hear through the wall slowly grew louder and more sinister as the minutes wore on. I had taken to pacing to keep warm and to chase away some of the fear that I felt. I managed to get a hold of my imagination and calm down and think rationally. Lothíriel and Faerel would have noticed that we were missing and I knew she would have immediately gone to my brother, who would in turn have been told when Araferil got back. To give myself something to do, I took down the few remaining pins and let my hair fall down freely. It was already mostly undone anyway. My hair was separated into three sections when I heard shouting and the heavy thud of a body hitting the floor…_

"Tara, are you sure you are alright?"

I turned to see Lothi standing behind me looking worried.

"I'm fine. Not a scratch on me, see?" I held out my arms and smiled.

She continued to frown. "Nothing happened, it's those girls that I am worried about." I said empathetically.

She sighed. "If you're sure…what is going to happen to those girls? From what I have heard the majority of their mothers can't afford to feed them with the loss of their father's income."

"I don't know. Maybe the city could institute a program to help them. War orphans are all too common."

"Has your Ranger said anything about it?"

I shook my head. "I only saw him for a few seconds. I was whisked away rather quickly by the Dunedain. I suspect that he is dealing with everything that has happened tonight." I paused and considered her. "Go to sleep Lothi, you are insufferable if you don't. I want to be alone anyway."

She bridged the gap between us and pulled me into a tight hug. "You know where to find me."

Then she was gone and I turned back to the balcony and leaned my elbows against the railing.

_I had stopped braiding my hair and took a few steps away from the door in wariness and stopped. What was the point? It was not like I could do much. I had no weapon. My hands balled into fists at my sides. One thing was for sure, if I didn't fight back against whatever was coming my way it would be far more psychologically damaging than physically. My eyebrows furrowed as I attempted to discern what was happening. There was a fight, but I couldn't tell against who. I hoped that Araferil had arrived and sent help but I couldn't be sure._

_Then there was the sound of a key being turned in a lock and the door opened. I did not recognize the two men who opened the door but I did recognize the style of their clothing. Dunedain Rangers._

_The older man spoke briskly. "Lady Taravel?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_You need to come with us."_

The sky was beginning to bleed yellow as I stood there on the balcony. After several more minutes of staying still, I moved. I was determined to treat this just like any other day. I scribbled a note to Areth to let her know where I was so she would not panic and then I grabbed my sketchbook and marched determinedly to the gardens. I wanted to finish my drawing of Araferil. I settled into my usual spot by the stream and filled in the blanks that I had left in my haste. My hair was still unbound and I impatiently flicked the ends out of the way. Sometime later I looked up and was not completely surprised to see Elessar watching me carefully. I set my sketchbook aside and simply sat there looking up at him. He had moved closer when I wasn't paying attention and getting tired of the height difference I stood up.

Now that I was no longer distracted by my drawings I noticed the chill in the air. My hands went to rub my arms without thought and Elessar followed the action with his eyes. Without saying a word he unpinned his cloak and settled it across my shoulders. Then his fingers reached up and trailed against my cheek before both of his hands cupped my face. He still hadn't said anything and simply studied me with a slow scan of my body.

I rolled my eyes in exasperation as my hands automatically rose up and settled over his. "I'm fine. Araferil was the one who got hurt, not me."

I wasn't sure if it was my words or if he had finally had his fill of studying me, whatever the catalyst was I didn't particularly care.

He was kissing me quite thoroughly and my rational thoughts were regulated to such a small corner of my brain that I doubted that I could form coherent sentences. His lips were warm and his hands had migrated. One had woven into the hair at the base of my head and the other was on my lower back. I was lost in the sensation. My fingers gripped at the collar of his tunic and impatiently tugged him closer while I rose up on tiptoes. Gradually the kisses slowed and became gentle. I blinked up at him when he pulled away and felt an odd sense of loss quickly followed by the thought that I would quite like to do that again.

"Tara." My name was breathed out and I only had a moment to think that that was the first time that he had called me by my nickname and that it sounded different coming from him before I was drawn into his embrace.

His hand was still entangled in my hair and his thumb drew small circles at the base of my neck. It was soothing and slowly I leaned more into him.

"Lothíriel came to me first. She was worried when the two of you disappeared and then then she found your satchel. I would prefer it if the next time you visited the lower levels that you took an escort with you. I don't want to ever have to worry like that again."

"That seems reasonable."

I snuggled further into him and we stood there in silence for several minutes.

A warm calloused hand gently touched my chin and I looked up at Elessar.

"Did you sleep at all?"

I shook my head. "I was not that tired."

"Are you going to collapse like last time?" There was a small teasing smile on his lips as he asked this.

"That was a special case, I don't go without sleep that often. Both times were products of extenuating circumstances."

The smile faded as he quietly studied my face. That was one of the things that I had realized about Elessar. He was quietly intense if that made any sense. He did not have to say much, he just had this _presence_ about him. Of course I talked enough for the both of us.  
>***<p>

I was cornered later on by none other than Saeril, in the _library _of all places. The conversation went something like this.

"I still don't like you Lady Taravel and I never will."

" …"

"But I am grateful that you looked out for my sister. Despite our differences she is still family. So as much as it pains me to admit this I do owe you a favor."

"Er, thanks?"

"I hope you realize what a great honor it is that I owe a favor to one of your rank."

"Glad to see that you haven't changed."

She gave me a haughty look followed by one of disdain. "Good day Lady Taravel."

"Good day Lady Saeril."

Because I was blown away from the whole thing it took me several seconds to regain the focus needed to read. But I bounced back quickly and the rest of the day was normal enough all things considered.

Then I realized that I had not told Lothi about the kiss, which I needed to do tonight or she would never forgive me. Before I did I stopped by my rooms to drop off my things when I noticed that I had a letter from Laili. Deciding to read it on the way I grabbed it and broke the seal as I exited my rooms. The contents of the letter so shocked me that when Lothíriel opened the door she demanded to know what was going on. Without a word I handed her the letter to read.

**A/N Another update! Thank you to the people who reviewed the last chapter. There are way more people reading this than reviewing so as a little incentive the first ten people to leave a review get to ask me any question about this story, only one question. Just make sure you have your PM's enabled so I can reply to you.**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N I know that I haven't updated in forever but I swear I have a reason for that and my reason is that I have been working on an original story on fictionpress and I would love some feedback so please check it out! **My username for fictionpress is Rose Evans. You can find a link to it on my profile.  
><strong>**

** A thank you to: Mistra Rose, obbbid, zZhell-butterflyZz, ShyxSkater, El W, totaliny, and Schlangenkind for leaving a review! I appreciate every single one of them. A big thank you to all of those who have followed/favorited this story. Laili is coming! Who's excited? I also finally figured out how to do a horizontal line to divide sections. I feel so accomplished.  
><strong>

_Tara,_

_Something happened and changed our plans. I am sending this letter with our fastest courier, we should arrive three days behind him. I don't have time to explain. Tell your King we are coming now._

_-Laili  
><em>

I paced back and forth in front of the door. I could feel the guards' eyes on me but ignored them. Rian had led me here and I had told another servant that I needed to speak with the king and that it was urgent. It was late, and I believe the only reason the servant went to announce me was because of who I was. The letter was held tightly in one clenched fist as my mind whirled with possibilities and worst case scenarios. I forcibly told myself to calm down and abruptly stopped in place before turning to face the door.

Soon after that the door opened to reveal Elessar. I could easily read the concern in his face and stance as he quickly looked me over.

"Taravel?"

"Could we go to your study?"

A gentle hand was placed on my back as he carefully steered me through the doorway. He left the door slightly ajar and led me to a chair. I sat, and he sat next to me, taking my free hand in his.

"What has happened?" His body was angled towards mine and he was leaning in close to me.

"You need to read this."

I handed him the wrinkled letter and he took it. With one last look of concern in my direction, he unfolded the parchment. It didn't take him long to read through it and with great care he folded it back up and placed the letter on the table.

"This is worrying, but it does not mean that the worst has happened."

"I know that if someone I knew had died she would have told me, but her penmanship is messy and the ink is smeared in places. Laili prides herself on her calligraphy, she wouldn't have sent me this if anything good had happened."

"There is no use torturing yourself when we don't have all the information. She will be here soon and you can ask her your questions then."

"I will still worry. I hate not knowing." My hand tightened around his.

His grey-blue eyes watched my face carefully before he sighed and brought my hand to his lips, kissing my knuckles softly.

"You should stay with Lothíriel tonight, you need sleep."

I nodded, turning over the suggestion in my mind before discarding it. I always slept better in my own bed. He tugged me gently to my feet, dropping my hand. I turned to leave but was stopped by his voice.

"Tara?"

I turned back around to face him. "Hmm?"

Then he stepped forward and placed a kiss on my forehead, and then a butterfly soft kiss across my eyelids, before briefly brushing his lips against mine.

"Sleep well."

"Uh huh."

* * *

><p>I walked out of there in a daze; lack of sleep combining with the giddy feelings that always came whenever he touched me.<p>

"So he kissed you?" Lothíriel was in her sleeping attire and her long straight hair touched the pillows she was sitting on.

"Yeah."

"And how was it."

"Well…" I could feel my cheeks heating up but forged on despite Lothi's growing grin. "Fantastic, wonderful. I want to kiss him again. You know, the usual."

"You're lucky your first kiss went so well, you already know how mine went."

"Awful."

"Precisely, though with a bit of practice it gets much better."

I shifted positions. "I got the feeling that he had quite a bit of practice."

"Does that surprise you?"

I shook my head. "No, not really."

"I suppose the better question is, does it bother you?" She laid out on her bed and propped her head up on her arm.

I thought about it for a moment before slowly shaking my head. "No, whatever happened is in the past. I have to trust in what we have now."

"Mature. Jealously is an ugly emotion that warps you into someone you don't recognize."

She traced the edge of an embroidered bird on her pillow while she talked.

"Your Horse Lord seemed pretty confident in your feelings towards him, otherwise why risk kissing you, the princess of Dol Amroth?"

"Yeah well, he had reason to be."

"Is there something you're not telling me?" I leaned forward in curiosity.

She managed a shrug from her position on the bed. "You know almost everything, but you were pretty wrapped up in what was happening between you and the king."

"So what happened?"

"We had a conversation."

"About what? You can't just leave it at that!"

"A conversation that made it clear what we felt for the other. I do think his leaving did spur him into action sooner though." She paused, and the snickered. "Spur, get it?"

"I get it." I said dryly.

My hand fisted on top of the blanket and Lothíriel zeroed in on the action.

"No thinking about depressing things right now and a war that may or may not happen! We promised we would only talk about happy things until Laili comes and we know more!"

"I know."

I made a concentrated effort like Laili said to focus on happier things. Éowyn's wedding was coming up. Weddings are happy.

"Have you heard from Éowyn lately?" I asked.

"About a week ago I got a letter. She mentioned the possibility of us visiting Rohan before her wedding."

"We have a couple months before that. Maybe we could go closer to the date and travel back with her."

"Maybe."

I rubbed at my eyes.

"I really need to get some sleep."

Lothi automatically glanced out the window to check the time and sat up abruptly.

"I didn't realize it had gotten that late, see you in the morning."

I rolled off the bed with ease and stepped through the sitting room to get to the main door. I paused briefly in the doorway before shaking my head and continuing on.

My mind wasn't tired but my body needed rest, and I needed a break from worrying about things beyond my control. So I slept, and dreamed of desert sands and the stirrings of ancient sentient magic.


End file.
